Casting a Shadow
by amazinglion29
Summary: The restoration of the Shiba clan has been agreed to, but with a cost. Officially recognized as a Shiba, Ichigo must become the head of the clan immediately and be courted. The way the spouse is chosen is unique in its own way. How would you feel if when you were inside a thick mist, an unknown future that was hard to accept awaited when it cleared? Byakuya/Ichigo... mpreg...
1. The Mist

The only reason why the Shiba heir had come in the first place was because his cousin, Takuma, coaxed him into it. Like him, Takuma held his hair color without a care in the world because it was a natural green color. Also unlike the Shiba family, he wore glasses or else he wouldn't have been able to see.

When Ichigo had met him, it was after he came back from a ten year mission in the world of the living. Never in his entire life did he think that Kukaku would have had a child. Much less one that didn't go out on full rage all the time. In fact, Takuma is the calmest person in the Shiba family and he holds his grace just like a Kuchiki. If it weren't for his looks, then many would have mistaken him as the son or brother of Byakuya.

All of his friends were here too, along with the important members of the other four clans. His friends are here because he invited them for comfort. If it were for any other reason, the Council would have immediately kicked them out and they wouldn't have been able to see Ichigo's fate. Now, they all sit behind the orange haired male and could feel the nervousness radiating in his reitsu. They were nervous as well, not knowing what kind of decisions the Council will make for their friend.

It was now time for the Council meeting to begin. The head of the council silenced everyone there and rested his eyes upon Ichigo. He cleared his throat in an exaggerated way before finally speaking. His gruff voice entered the young Shiba's ears and Ichigo couldn't help but stiffen at how authoritive the man sounded.

"Ichigo Shiba, I would first like to welcome you here today and thank you for accepting our offer to stand before us." Ichigo nodded gravely and swallowed hard, unable to trust in his own voice. "We know of how you save saved the Soul Society many times ever since the day you first entered the Seireitei as a lowly ryouka. We also know if the times that you've disobeyed the Soul Society and done your own bidding even after the order was given to not do such things. Such as the time you decided to save the girl, Orihime Inoue, from Las Noches in Hueco Mundo. As the Council weighed over everything good and bad that you have done, we decided that even though you were hidden away and unknown as a Shiba to the Soul Society, that we would give the Shiba clan a second chance to become one of the Five Great Clans once more. Also as we had discussed, Isshin Shiba will be retired as the former head of the clan and you will take his place since you've proven yourself of the title. All that we require now is whether or not you accept our proposal and restore your clans name." The man in front of him spoke as if no matter what, Ichigo had to choose yes as his answer.

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably under the gazes. He was about to decline the offer, not wanting to take on the responsibility of a whole clan, when he saw his father giving him that look of expectation. He sighed and groaned at the same time, knowing that no matter what, he would have to accept the offer. Byakuya, who heard the groan, glared at the young Shiba.

"Ichigo Shiba, this decision is up to you, but I wouldn't take the offer too lightly. Just as easily as they offered the restoration to your clan, they can put you into Mukken for all of the times you disobeyed the Soul Society. I know you do not like the rules of the Soul Society very much, but they are there for a reason. Why not weigh on your choices now that you have been given a little more insight towards the situation."

Ichigo stared at Byakuya and sighed in acceptance. He's already got his father and the old man up at the head of the council nearly forcing him to choose to restore the clan name. Now, he can't help but wonder if Byakuya was silently telling him to restore his clan or just go rot in one of the deepest cells in Mukken. He hoped that it was the former and not the latter. The Noble Council meeting was just a pain in the ass for him. Today wasn't going to reach his list of top ten days to look forward to, but it surely won't be in his top ten least favorite days.

After he found out that he was a Shiba, the immediate response of Central 46 was to send him in front if the Council and let them determine what to do with the boy. It was a reasonable thing to do, but it made Ichigo scared stiff when he had to meet some of Byakuya's most powerful 'bosses' that were chosen by the other Four Great Clans.

"Alright." Ichigo finally said in acceptance, unwillingly allowing himself to become the head of the Shiba clan. He scratched the back of his head in annoyance when he saw the approving nods he received from the council.

"Now, Ichigo Shiba, it is now time for you to be courted." The head of the council stated and stood up.

Everyone else in the room stood as well, murmurs echoing throughout the quarters. Ichigo stared wide eyed at the council, his mouth hanging open slightly with small almost inaudible sounds escaping him. He watched in complete shock as six people entered the room carrying an item between them. They made their way to the front of the room and set it down, revealing it to be a pedistool with six large clear glass bowls on top of it. A faint light blue glowing mist was inside of one bowl, pink in another, gray in the next, orange in one, green in the fifth, and red in the final one, giving it an almost mystifying look to each bowl.

The six men who enetered the room bowed in front of the council before exiting in an orderly fashion, seeming to have been used to the tradition. Their retreating figures seemed to make Ichigo snap out of his stuper as he bared his teeth and growled slightly. His hands clenched into fists and he was nearly ready to punch the hell out of someone when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

His head snapped to the side, noticing Takuma was standing there. The green haired soul reaper had a calm look in his eyes as he stared at Ichigo. A small smile appeared on his face to assure Ichigo and he nodded his head towards the direction of the bowl. Ichigo sighed and unclenched his fists, relaxing a bit because of his cousin's actions. The hand slid off his shoulder as he made his way forward, stepping behind the bowls to face the crowd in front of him. He involuntarily flinched, finally noticing just how many people were here. He hadn't expected that many people to come, but things don't always turn out the way you want them to.

"Just reach your hand inside of one of the bowls, you'll know which one it is." The head said and motioned with his hand at the six bowls.

Ichigo looked at each bowl, all of them carrying some sort of mist he didn't know anything about. Of course, he was reluctant to do anything at all. But, there was always that slight chance it wouldn't turn out so bad. Maybe he'll get a happy woman that doesn't go by all of the Soul Society's rules and wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life with him. Then there's always that chance that a girl who hates everybody and everything around her that he will choose; completely making his life a living hell. Lets say, he definately wasn't looking forward to it.

Ichigo went over to the red bowl and began to examine it. Not that there was much he could examine, but the bowl smelt kind of like blood, and it made him recoil away from it. 'Definately not that one.' He thought and went over to the green one. This one smelt sour and kind of burned his nose, almost like someone put Cry Babies up there. He sneezed from the smell and immediately trekked over to the orange one. To his surprise, it didn't smell too bad. It smelt a bit like freshly harvested honey to him, but he didn't feel like it was significant to him in any way. The gray bowl residing next to it caused him to cough and wave a hand in front of his face. The smell smelt like ash from a freshly burnt building, making him scurry over to the fifth bowl.

This one smelt and felt different to him. The pink mist seemed to draw him in, making him feel at home and at scent of fresh Sakura petals reached his nose and he unconsciously reached his hand into the bowl.

As if welcoming him, the pink mist rose from the bowl and began to coat over Ichigo's body. His eyes only widened momentarily before his body was completely obscured from view. Everyone sat in the room silently, awaiting the outcome of his choosing.

"He has chosen the bowl of the Kuchiki Clan, and the mist has accepted him. We must now await his return from the mist before we know which Kuchiki member has been chosen for him." The head stated.

The side of the room specifically reserved for the Kuchiki family was completely silent. Byakuya, Rukia, Genrei, and all of their distant relatives were waiting, not knowing which of them would be chosen. But the ones who were more worried were the women. They knew that there was a higher possibility of them being chosen than the men, so they were fidgeting in their seats. The men, though, were only worried about whether or not their sister or cousin was going to be chosen. No male has ever liked it when their family is forced into a marriage they don't want to be apart of.

Inside the mist, Ichigo's body was unmoving but his mind was in a different location entirely. He was walking down a dark corridor, unsure of what was happening. A scowl still pressnt on his face, he kept on walking. He had no idea where he was being led to, but he wanted to get out of here and get this done and over with. Soon enough, the dark corridor went away and Ichigo dound himself inside of a manor of sorts.

This place looks familiar. Ichigo thought and continued walking, trying to remember the place he was in. He let his own feet guide him to wherever they were taking him, not even bothering to completely control them. The made it to a door and opened it, revealing a large and beautiful garden. Sakura trees littered here and there, giving the garden a nice glow to it. It had a large Koi pond in the center with a small island conected to the garden by a bridge and some resting chairs on top of it. A round table was in between the chairs and he saw some sort of object residing on top of it. Somehow needing to know what it is, he began to walk through the gardens pathways and across the bridge. Now that I think about it, this looks exactlt like the Kuchiki Manor. But what am I doing here?

Upon reaching the table, Ichigo was surprised to see what lay on top of it. He could of sworn no matter where the noble was, he wouldn't leave behind his Kenseiken (his head piece) or his Ginpaku Kazahana no Uzuginu (his scarf). Or was it just a scarf made of Ginpaku Kazahana no Uzuginu? He couldn't remember, but he did pick up the items. His intentions were to return the items to their owner when suddenly his body became cold. A familiar pink mist once again surrounded him and his items. His mind returned to him and the mist from his body slowly faded away, revealing himself back inside of the court room.

As he looked back in front of him, blinking in confusion, he felt a weight upon his shoulders. Not only that, the white belt of his shihakusho felt a slight bit heavier on both of his sides. He could also tell that his posture has become unbelievably straighter.

'What the hell happened to me?' He thought.

Gasps were heard throughout the room and whispering soon followed. Confused, Ichigo looked around the room. His family and human friends were staring wide eyed and mouths agape. Even his calm and collected cousin Takuma seemed surprised about something, which was different even for him.

But, as he noticed, there was one side of the room that was particularly quiet. Not that he didn't appreciate it, but Ichigo just thought it strange. His eyes slid over to the side where he saw the Kuchiki Clan sitting. They all seemed the most shocked, but he noticed Byakuya was shocked more than anyone. His eyes had widened considerably and a slight amount of fear and something else was sitting in them. Ichigo was surprised, really. He had never seen Byakuya wear his emotions on his sleves before, so this is completely new to him and everyone else. Just what was going on here?

He scratched the back of his head, not understanding anything about the situation. Everyone was just staring and whispering, not even communicating with him directly. His scowl deepened and he crossed his arms. Finally, recognition graced his eyes as something soft caressed his fingertips. With widened eyes, he looks down and notices the Kuchiki scarf draped over his shoulders. His shock grew when he saw his waistline. On the belt of his shihakusho, he saw four Kenseiken there. Two right above each of his legs. He didn't understand. Not a single thing. Why the hell was he wearing the Kuchiki head's items?

"Ichigo Shiba, we would like to thank you for your cooperation." He turned around, looking up at the head of the Council. The smile on the man's face didn't seem to fit. Ichigo's palms were sweating and he had the urge to wipe them on his shihakusho. The quizzical look that appeared on his face reached the older man. A chuckle escaped the head councelor's lips before the older man stood up and regarded the people in front of them.

"I would also like to thank the rest of you for joining us today. Your presence was very much appreciated. I would like it if everyone were to all leave, and just allow the Shiba and Kuchiki heads to stay for a discussion. You are all dismissed." Everyone, not wanting to disobey orders from the council, left the room swiftly. Ichigo's family and friends, as well as Byakuya's sister, were a little more reluctant. Their hesitation lasted for a few seconds after everyone had left, but they followed the rest of the Nobles. The creak of a door was heard, followed by it closing.

The room was quite, the three left in the room not saying anything. Byakuya still sat in his seat, in the same position as when Ichigo reemerged from the mist. Just this time, his stoic expression was once again plastered on his face and hiding his emotions. He stood only when the Head motioned him forward, walking to stand right beside Ichigo. The head disappeared from his seat and reappeared standing in front of the two nobles.

Ichigo, still confused as ever, was scratching the back of his head. Everyone left but Byakuya and the man in feont of the two of them. Then there's the fact that he's wearing the Kuchiki heirlooms as part of his uniform. Just what had that mist done to him?

"Byakuya Kuchiki, I know that you have already known what this means, but for Ichigo Shiba's sake, it will be a refresher for your memory." Byakuya nodded gravely, his eyes casting downwards a slight bit before returning them to a perfect level. Ichigo dropped his hand to his sides and looked expectantly at the Head of the council.

"Ichigo Shiba, the mist you had chosen was the mist of the Noble house, the Kuchiki's. The only way to chose a mist is if you were drawn to it and it accepted you. I don't have any implication as to what you went through inside of the mist, but you did grab the necessary items needed for your return." The Head explained it in a way that was dumbing it down, not wanting to use any large words that would confuse the new noble.

"So," Ichigo started slowly, grasping a bit of the concept, "the Kenseiken and the Kuchiki scarf were the items that I needed?" He pointed to his belt where the Kenseiken resided, and then to the scarf wrapped around his neck. The Head nodded and Ichigo chose to continue. "What did I need them for?"

"It's simple really. The items inside of the mist vary depending on who was chosen for you. It's normally a personal item of said person, but rarely anyone comes out wearing an article of clothing replicated for them personally. Those are normally the ones who are chosen to marry the head of a noble clan." It was silent for a few seconds, the council member letting the newly applied information to sink into the thick skull of the Shiba Head. Byakuya closed his eyes, suppressing an undignified sigh and squeezed his hands tighter in front of him.

Realization flashed through Ichigo's mind and he visibly tensed up. His muscles were taut and his mind whirled. His newly improved posture fluctuated and he took a small step back to balance himself. His hands twitched at his sides as he stared somewhat fearfully into the elders eyes. His mouth opened and closed, not knowing what to say. His mind knew what was happening, but he himself didn't want to believe it.

Time seemed to stop right there. Ichigo's hand seemed to take an eternity to cover his mouth. The movements were so slow, yet Ichigo felt nauseated and thought he was moving too fast. His posture once again fluctuated and he began to fall. His vision tunneled around the edges until he could see the end of it no more.


	2. Second in History

The head of the Kuchiki clan sat in his room in the Kuchiki manor, sipping his tea and trying his best to relax his aching mind. A pounding headache flourished through his head and he had asked for the tea in hopes that it would subside. Unfortunately for him, there was too much passing through his mind to calm it. What makes it worse was the fact that there was a sleeping body laying in his bed.

His eye twitched as the heavy breathing next to him paused slightly before returning to normal. He shifted slightly in his chair, grabbing a nearby book to read to take his mind off of things.

Except, the Kuchiki noble just wasn't getting what he wanted.

First, the noble Council insisted that Ichigo be brought to his manor, then to sleep in a bed that doesn't belong to him, no less. Then, the fact that a pounding headache went through his mind at all times since he got home wasn't helping either.

But why him? Why was it he, Byakuya Kuchiki, who was chosen to become the fiancé of Ichigo Kurosaki? How on earth was such an insolent fool a Shiba in the first place? He could never stand the orange haired teen and his ill-mannered ways.

Then there's the mist. What the hell was the point of it? It's not like it has a mind of its own. It is just simply a mist. Besides, when Byakuya himself was forced to use it after Hisana died, nothing happened. But why now? The mist accepted Ichigo and he was 'instinctively drawn to it.' Now that is just a stupid bamboozle. That is just something the noble council made up so they could mess with everyone's minds. It has to be.

Byakuya set his now empty tea cup down and looked to the side, noticing for the first time how peaceful Ichigo looks when he's asleep. His normal scowl doesn't transfer to his face when he sleeps, giving him a peacefull look.

Before his thoughts could go any further, Byakuya closed his book and stepped out of the room. Closing the door behind him, he saw an oncoming figure and immediately noticed the green hair.

"Kuchiki-kun." Takuma stated lightly and nodded his head at the other noble. Byakuya inclined his head slightly in greeting as the man stopped in front of him.

"Shiba, what buisness do you have in my house?" Byakuya asked. He and Takuma were normally on good terms, but he just wasn't in the mood. Takuma's lips quirked up and pointed to Byakuya's bedroom door.

"I came to see my cousin, if that's alright with you Kuchiki-kun?" He asked. An audible sight escaped Byakuya's lips as he walked passed the younger noble.

"Do what you like, but don't go ruining anything in the house. Those repairs would be coming out of your clans budget." He heard Takuma laugh heartily before opening the door to the Kuchiki garden.

"What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours now Kuchiki-kun. Don't forget." The green haired male said before entering Byakuya's room. Byakuya sighed and grumbled under his breath, closing the door to the gardens so that he could enjoy peace and quiet.

He walked to the pavilion that was in his garden, sitting down and looking over the grounds. The sakura's were abundant, but the flowers gave more color to the land than just pink. All colors of the rainbow were seen, but not placed in a specific order. The unorganized look gave it a beautiful advantage, making it as though they were always there. But, every year, the head of the Kuchiki clan would plant a flower in the gardens with his or her counterpart.

With a slightly disgusted realization, Byakuya didn't want to imagine doing such a task with Ichigo. The boy was no gardener, meaning that he'd probably kill the flower before it was even planted in the ground. No doubt the boy liked a peacefull scenery like this, but he just wouldn't be the best at maintaining it.

Byakuya let out a sigh and looked up at the clouds, watching as they slowly moved across the sky.

.:÷:.

Soft brown orbs opened slowly and blinked up at the ceiling, trying to register where he was. He wasn't sure where he was, but knew that he wasn't in the Shiba manor or his home in Karakura town. A nearby window let a breeze in and he caught a whiff of sakura in the air. The scent suddenly crashed on him as the events from earlier that day played out in his mind.

He groaned and sat up in the bed, rubbing the side of his face with his hand. His best guess was that he was in the Kuchiki manor since he is the fiancé of their clan leader. Except he didn't understand. He wasn't gay, yet he's being married to a male. Someone of the exact same gender. Nothing made sense, and it caused his head to spin.

With a sigh of annoyance, he was about to get out of the bed when a soft hand was placed on a shoulder and forced him gently back onto the bed. Ichigo turned his head and saw the familiar green eyes of his cousin and stared at him in a puzzled manner.

"Take it easy, dear cousin. Your body is still under a bit of stress." Takuma said with a gentle smile. Ichigo shook his head slightly and sat back up, not taking a move to leave the bed.

"What are you doing here Takuma?" Ichigo asked quizzically, not understanding the presence of his cousin.

"What? Can I not come by to check up on my cousin?" Ichigo gave him a pointed look, causing the green haired male to sigh. "Ichigo..."

"You wanted to talk to me about these recent events, don't you?" Ichigo said, cutting off his cousin and looking out the open window on the opposite side of the room. He watched as sakura petals landed on the windowsill before being blown away by the wind.

"Ichigo I..."

"No, I understamd. You want to know if I'm alright." Ichigo said and looked back at Takuma. Said man nodded his head and gave him a quizzical look.

"Well, are you?" He asked the orange haired teen. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders and looked down in his lap. Fiddling with his fingers, he thought for a moment before replying with a worded answer.

"In all honesty, I'm not mad or anything. Just surprised is all. I'm not gay, so I don't exactly understand the situation." He looked back up at his cousin and asked another question. "Does it happen often?"

"Does what happen often?"

"You know, a male noble marrying another male noble. Does it?" Ichigo asked, wanting confirmation. Takuma shook his head and adjusted his glasses.

"No. In fact, I think earlier today was only the second time in history a male and male were chosen to be wed. This is the first I've seen in my days as a noble, and I've been alive for nearly two hundred years." He replied.

"What happened the first time?" Ichigo asked with interest, leaning his back against the wall and staring at the man in front of him. He watched as the boy's shoulders lifted and set themselves back into place before answering.

"I'm not quite sure, but I do know that it caused quite an uproar. I know someone from the Kuchiki clan was searching for a bride so that there would be heirs to their clan, but the mist for the Rukongai changed to a gold and silver color instead of gray. Nothing else was said. The rest of the information was kept from everyone because those sho witnessed it were sworn to secrecy. But I'm pretty sure Byakuya knows. The Kuchiki clan is in charge of keeping the history if the Soul Society recorded after all."

Ichigo mulled over the new information. So, it was rare for two males that are a part of noble clans to be wed. In fact, he and Byakuya were only the second pair in the history of the Soul Society that ended up like this. But, what was so bad about the first time that it was sworn to secrecy? Would his relationship be sworn to secrecy as well?

Shaking his head, Ichigo tried to get rid of the unneeded thoughts and nodded towards Takuma. The man smiled at him and stood up from the chair.

"Wait, where are you going?" Ichigo asked towards the now retreating figure.

"I'm heading back to the Shiba manor. Can't leave mom alone for too long, she'll probably destroy the place while beating on Uncle Ganju. You take care now and don't stress over things too much. It'll all work out over time." He waved a hand back before pulling the sliding door shut, leaving a stunned teen inside the now empty room.

.:÷:.

Byakuya stood in front of a door somewhere deep inside of the Kuchiki manor. He used his reitsu on the lock, effectively opening it and stepping inside. Then, the door closed and locked itself, only allowing the head of the clan entrance at the moment. Byakuya followed down the winding staircase until he entered probably the biggest room in all the Soul Society.

The room stood at a mile deep in the ground with shelves lining every wall and reaching the top. Inside each shelf were books packed upon books. Each of the books were labled for a different month and year of the soul society. From the top were the beginings of the Soul Society when it first came into function. Then, they traveled down to the very bottom on to this years happenings. Each book ranged in length, depending on what kind of things happened during that month. Byakuya's goal was simple: find a book with a considerable length and labled about the Kuchiki's themselves.

He started from the top, scanning over the spine of each book, fixed on finding a certain one. He was there for maybe two hours and had gotten to nearly halfway into the existence of the Soul Society when a book caught his attention.

It was probably the thickest book in the record library, labled for one thousand years before his time. The spine also read 'The Kuchiki's Greatest Taboo in the History of the Soul Society.' If that wasn't promising, Byakuya had no idea what was.

He pulled the book off the shelf and flash stepped to the bottom of the chamber and rook a seat at the table. The book was opened and he began to flip through it, scanning the words on the pages before coming to a chapter seemingly longer than the rest. He stopped and began to read.

 _'On this day, the Kuchiki clan seemed to make history. The current head of the clan at this time was Mitobe Kuchiki, a well known and widely liked man. Unlike the others of the clan, he was happy and outgoing, selfless in every way. He'd do anything to help others and make their life better, which was most likely the reason why his husband was the person he was._

 _That day during the ceremony, he was happy and upbeat like normal. He didn't mind that he was going to be married off, since he knew practically everyone in the noble clans and loved them all greatly; as if they were his own family. He stood behind all six bowls, waiting for the word to begin. He didn't know what each bowl represented, because if you did, then the mist would malfunction. It was only to be revealed once you chose your spouse._

 _After word was given by the head council, he moved to the first bowl. He went by swiftly, cringing at a few and smiling at others, but didn't make a move towards any. That is, until he reached the bowl with the gray mist. The mist of the Rukongai._

 _No one can tell what the man was thinking at the moment, thus making them wonder why he reached for the bowl. But they knew he was happy, for his smile seemed to widen when he reached his hand inside. He closed his eyes and welcomed the mist, but the mist changed._

 _As the mist traveled up his arm, it changed colors. Instead of it staying gray, it turned gold and silver, a color that the mist had never been before. Whispers began to erupt from the room, uncertainty tainting everyone's spiritual pressure. They were all equally confused, and had no idea what was to become of Mitobe._

 _When he reamerged, he didnt have any item of sorts. Instead, he arrived holding hands of a male. He had long, golden hair and wore the best silks in all the Soul Society. His face was lean and golden eyes with silver specs stared out at everyone. This was a change, for never in history had anyone brought a person back from the mist. In fact, the man was an uexpected visitor and his reason for being there so simple that nobody could believe it.'_

As Byakuya reached that part of the story, the pages became blank. He frowned deeply and flipped through, going through a total of twenty more pages in that chapter before coming to the next. Sighing, he closed the book and returned it to the shelf, realizing that when they were sworn to secrecy, they were sworn to secrecy. That day couldn't even be recorded properly. That's not how this works, but it just so happens to be that way.

He left the room the same way he entered, making sure the door was locked before treking down the hallway. He was stopped by one of the maids, asking for what he would like for dinner.

"Whatever you are able to make tonight is fine." Byakuya stated simply. The maid bowed his way.

"As you wish, Master Kuchiki." She replied and made her way towards the kitchen.

Byakuya exited the manor, making his way through the gardens. The wind blew through his hair as he went through the information he gathered. Blank pages were never found in a book in the archive. That one should have been no different. But what was the reason for it? Surely they didn't keep them blank for no reason. Just what were they hoping to achieve by keeping such information secret?

His train of thought ended as he came up to a seprate, small building. He opened the sliding door, passing the bathroom and reaching the only other room in the building. Opening the door, he saw that Takuma had left and Ichigo was holding a cup of tea one of the maids most likely brought for him. The orange headed male turned from the window to look at who entered, realizing Byakuya had come into the room.

"Oh, hey Byakuya. What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked as the blue eyed noble sat in the seat Takuma had left about an hour ago.

"Is it wrong for me to be in my own bedroom, or did your mind not register that simple bit of information?" Byakuya stated, not looking at Ichigo.

The teens face heated up at the newly aquired information. He had thought he was in a guest room at the manor. Not in Byakuya's personal room. He felt completely embarrased, a trait slightly foreign to his simple state of mind.

"Ah, sorry." Ichigo said and scratched the back of his head. The first thought that went through his mind was why he was in Byakuya's room in the first place. Surely the stuck up noble wouldnt have allowed it so easily.

But that wasn't what mattered to him the most. The fact that he was laying in Byakuya's bed just made things even worse for him. Not only that, Ichigo had slept the best he had in years, and that says something. Plus, he felt oddly comfortable in the bed. Well, he guessed it was only natural since the rich got all kinds of comfort from using their money.

"You should get used to it Ichigo. For the council is making you reside here until the wedding. Only then will we chose to live in my manor or yours." Byakuya stated, slightly irritated. He most definately didn't like the fact that he has to share his bedroom with such an insolent fool, but the council had ordered it and he has no intention of going against their words anymore.

Ichigo sighed and leaned against the wall, not believing what he was hearing. That damned council is always up in everyone's buisness. He was surprised Byakuya hadn't hone crazy because of these guys yet. Well, he guessed it was only a matter of time.

Time of which soul reapers seemed to have a lot of.

He himself was still part human, growing and aging just like any normal human would. But Byakuya on the other hand was aging like a soul. He looked to be in his mid twenties when in reality he was hundreds of years old. Everything about this relation ship screams failure. He did of course want to know about the first situation like this. The thought had been nagging at himever since Takuma had told him about it.

"Hey Byakuya, I was wondering what you could tell me about the first situation like ours. Takuma said that the Kuchiki clan recorded the events of the Soul Society and that it was possible that you would know more details than what they let out to the public." Ichigo brought his brown eyes to meet Byakuya's blue ones, staring at the older man in question.

"If I knew that kind of information myself, I would tell you. But it just so happens that day was hardly recorded in the files." Byakuya stood again and began to leave the room, turning slightly to look at Ichigo before he completely left. "Dinner will be ready soon. I will send one of the maids to come get you when it is." He watched as Ichigo nodded his way before sliding the door shut and returning to the gardens.

He looked over mill pond, watching as the fish began to get closer to the surface. With his emotionless face still intact, he went to grab some fish food and sprinkle it over the water. The fist bobbed at the top, eating the dull colored flakes before sinking back down into the deep shadows of the water.

Byakuya wished he could do that at the moment, but knew he has other important things he had to handle first.


	3. Surprise and a New Advisor

"What!? Why so early? We only found out yesterday!" An audible shout was heard from inside of the squad six barracks. Some people stopped to stare, but soon left and avoided the captains office as much as possible.

"Because, Ichigo, the moment that you become betrothed or choose a spouse, you have within a week to be wed. And it isn't the time that I break the rules of the Soul Society that you so desperately hate." Byakuya stated simply and continued to fill out the paperwork on his desk.

"Screw the damn rules! How the hell does that even work? They don't even give you time to get used to the person your marrying before they're wed! What the hell kind of crazy person does that?!" Ichigo shouted and slammed his hands on Byakuya's desk.

"The Soul King." Byakuya stated before picking up the spilled ink bottle and the ruined paperwork he had just finished. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and get copies of the paperwork your filthy hands ruined." Byakuya left the steaming man to himself and exited the barracks, flash stepping towards the head captains office to gather copies of the paperwork.

Groaning in dissatisfaction, Ichigo stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind him, causing some nearby members of squad six to flinch and call out in surprise. His reitsu leaked from his body in an uncontrolled manner and had a deadly spike to it.

Not being able to stand in the sixth division any longer, Ichigo flash stepped away as fast as he could, causing many people to gap at him. He went far away, all the way towards the Shiba manor and entered before anyone had noticed.

He saw Ganju walking down the hallways and growled slightly to himself, stomping passed his cousin before the man could speak to him. Baffled, Ganju turned and stared at the orange haired teen in confusion. 'He's not even going to pick a fight with me? Or say hello? What the hell is with him?' Shaking his head, Ganju continued on his way.

The angry teen walked up to Kukaku's room, slamming the door open. He effectively scared the jeepers out of her and caused her to drop the pipe in her mouth. Instead of being scared of what he has done, he marched over to said pipe and took a big puff of it before handing it back to the shocked woman.

He instantly began to feel its effects. His mind slowed and calmed slightly enough for him to think rationally. He sat down in front of Kukaku, who had resumed smoking the pipe she had. She analyzed the boy, looking and seeing his distressed form. She put the pipe down and leaned forward, suddenly interested in what was wrong with the boy.

"Now tell me Ichigo, what the hell just happened to make you so pissed off like that?" She asked in her demanding tone.

"It's the whole damned situation I'm in Kukaku. Did you know nobles are supposed to marry within a week after engagement?" He asked in disbelief and scowled. The woman just chuckled, realizing why the boy was so upset.

"It's the rule of the Soul Society. I'm kind of glad I didn't go through that rule, or I wouldn't have been able to have my little Takuma. Too bad though, he acts more like a stuck up noble than a Shiba. But, I love him just the same." Kukaku stated and puffed through her pipe.

"Yeah." Ichigo stated and scratched the back of his neck. "He is family after all. Say, how did you meet Takuma's father? Just who is the guy?"

"That's a story for another time. But for now Ichigo, let's deal with your so called 'situation.'" He groaned and threw his head back, only now realizing what he brought himself into.

.:':.

"Nii-sama! Do you need any help with the preperations?" A petite girl ran up to her brother, asking the question of questions and looking up at him hopefully. He stared down at her and sighed slightly, getting annoyed at her frantic calls every hour of the day.

"If you must, create an ice center piece that will be up to standards for the ceremony. Don't rush through it either. It takes time to make things perfect. Do not come to me until you have the final product." She bowed towards him with a bright smile on her face.

"Yes, Nii-sama. I'll begin right away!" With that, she raced off in the other direction and left the Kuchiki head by himself for the moment. He grunted in approval before turning and swiftly making his way towards the gardens.

Outside, servants and many skilled shinigami were setting up everything to match the beauty of the gardens. Not much had seemed to be done, but it all blended into the scenery so perfectly that it looked like a natural place.

Flat stones of many sizes winded in small curves a few hundred feet forward and away from the main building. At the end of it stood a make shift alter created with white marble and lined with fresh green vines to give it a natural look. All that was left to do was place all of the chairs for the invited party and put a little more decoration to the place. Luckily, the Kuchiki noble was plenty stocked up on round tables in an extra warehouse, so none needed buying.

Byakuya made a quick walk through, inspecting what had been layed out for decoration thus far. He pointed out some of the mistakes and flaws he saw within the setting and the servants made quick use of their time to fix it. After about ten minutes, the noble nodded in satisfaction before making his way to his room.

When he entered, he was a bit surprised when he didn't see Ichigo inside. When his temper had flared earlier, he expected the boy to flee back to the Kuchiki manor and annoy him further when he returned, but that is not what had happened. He searched for his reitsu, finding the boy's signature inside of the Shiba manor.

Groaning in annoyance, the stoic noble went over to the small desk in his room and sat down in the chair. There spread out in front of him were invitations; most of which had yet to be filled out. Of course everyone that lived in the Kuchiki manor was automatically invited to the wedding, but there needed to be other people joining as well.

Byakuya had took it upon himself to invite all the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei thirteen. He also invited the main people of the Four Great Noble Clans to attend since it was the marriage of two nobles after all. But now, he was stumped on who else to invite. He believed it to be enough people to witness it, but what about Ichigo? Surely the fool would have some people he would like to invite as well. Especially his friends that had returned to the human world.

With an exasperated sigh, he began to write the names and adresses of the humans that were Ichigo's friends. He didn't like the fact that there would be humans at his wedding, nor the fact that he had to marry a man that was half human. It hadn't taken him long to resent the situation, but he had no choice. He definately wasn't fond of breaking the rules of the Soul Society, so he trained his mind to accept the situation even though he wanted nothing to do with it.

"Kuchiki-sama, dinner is ready." The door to the quarters opened to reveal a maid on her knees in bowing position. She sat there, waiting for his command.

Byakuya set down his calligraphy pen and put the invitations into a neat pile on the desk. Reorganizing everything, Byakuya stood from his seat and turned towards the door. His lips were pressed in a firm line when he saw the woman kneeling there at the door.

"I will be right there. You are dismissed." He stated and waved the servant off. She nodded her head and stood up, closing the door before leaving.

The noble summoned a hell butterfly, sending a message to the Shiba Manor to ask whether or not Ichigo would be attendimg dinner with him. After he did that, he walked out of his room and across the gardens to the main building.

.:':.

As it turned out, Ichigo was already sleeping. The boy had let out so much frustration that it exhausted him and he fell asleep on the ground in front of Kukaku. His mind and voice were exhausted, so the older Shiba wasn't surprised when he went woozy and tiped on his side.

He just layed there in front of her on the ground, unmoving. She was tempted to just leave him there, but his stress would only build if he woke with a kink in his neck. Reluctantly, she pulled the orange haired boy closer to her and placed his head in her lap. It felt awkward at first since she never even did this for Ganju, but the awkwardness seized and she continued to smoke her pipe comfortably.

It surprised her when a hell butterfly flew into the room and landed on top of Ichigo. Since the boy was still asleep, she picked up the butterfly with her finger and recieved the message.

"'Ichigo Shiba, I would like to know if you would be attending dinner at the Kuchiki Manor again tonight. I would like it if you'd come now since it is ready if you choose to do so.'" The sound of Byakuya's voice reached Kukaku's ears and she smirked to herself.

"Nah, Byakuya. I think the boy will be staying here at the Shiba Manor tonight. He seems comfortable enough where he is and he's a piss ant when you try to wake him." She then sent the hell butterfly back to the Kuchiki Manor and looked at the boy in her lap.

She shook her head and sighed, calling for Ganju. Her brother was immediately there, not wishing to get on his sister's bad side. He's experienced that several times over and knew that she could kick him twice to Saturday.

"Yes Kukaku? What is it you need?" He asked after a moment of hesitation. His eyes trailed down to the boy in her lap and loooked back up at his sister in interest.

"Prepare a bed for Ichigo. He'd be more comfortable there anyway." She commanded, earning an immediate yes as an answer from her brother. "And he is the head of the Shiba Clan after all, so make sure he gets the master bedroom, will ya?" She stated and gave him a pointed look. Ganju looked in shock from the boy to Kukaku.

"B-But that's your-"

"What did I tell you to do, Ganju?" She asked menacingly and glared at the man. "I'm more than capable of finding another room to sleep in." Ganju reluctantly nodded his head and left the room, giving one last look at his sister and cousin before leaving the room.

Kukuaku sighed and placed her pipe down beside her and looked at Ichigo's face once more. The boy was awake again and staring curiously at Kukaku. Then, his face reddened when he realized his head was in Kukaku's lap.

He began to stutter and quickly shot up, apologizing for falling asleep like he had. Instead of scolding the boy like she normally would, she just sat there and let him finish his little rant session of apologizing. When he realized that Kukaku wasn't going to do anything to him, he stopped apologizing and gave his cousin a weary look.

"Why aren't you hitting me and scolding me for falling alseep in your presence?" He asked and caitiously crossed his legs in front of him. Kukaku rolled her eyes and picked up her pipe once more.

"What kind of fool do you take me for, Ichigo? Only Ganju would do something as stupid as that." She stated matter-of-factly. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"It's the rules for all nobles: 'never attack or purposefully harm the clan leader unless he or she has asked you to train.'" Kukaku said, seeming to recite the line from an imaginary cloud above her head.

"You know I don't care for the rules, and you seemed willing to break them before." Ichigo pointed out, referring when she let him and his friends use her canon to invade the Soul Society. Kukaku gave him a bewildered look and clenched her fists to keep from knocking the boy upside the head.

"I believe you forgot about our Clan's restoration, and the making of transferring ownership of the clan to you. You are the head of the Shiba Clan now, Ichigo. Which also means that our whole clan must follow the regular rules of a noble family." Kukaku explained in the simplest manner she could. She noticed the man groan in annoyance and look towards the door.

"I don't care about those damn rules. Anyway, where's Goat Face? I haven't seen him in a while." Ichigo asked and looked at the woman sitting across from him.

"Well, I believe you've just summoned the devil." Kukaku stated and moved back slightly.

As if on cue, the said goat faced man jumped into the room, trying to catch Ichigo off guard like he does every time he greets him. The teen easily evaded the oncoming kick and stared at his father with a bored expression.

"Oh, hey Goat Face." Ichigo stated as if he wasn't nearly tackled to the ground by his father.

"You did so well in evading my attack~! I have nothing more to teach you, my son~!" Isshin said and cried animatedly from where he was laying on the ground.

"Isshin, get your ass up and greet your son properly." Kukaku seethed with a deadly aura surrounding her. Isshin flinched and shivered, unused to Kukaku's deadly demeanor.

Following her command, Isshin got up from the ground and walked over to sit in front of his son. He got on his knees and bowed with his hands out in front of him. "Good evening, Shiba-sama." He stated and waited in that position.

Ichigo, who sat on the receiving end of things, was flabbergasted and staring at the man he called his father. He didn't know what to do. His father just greeted him like any noble would, yet he didn't know how to respond.

"After a greeting Shiba-sama, you are supposed to say to the person greeting you that they are allowed to stand." Piped up a new male voice. Ichigo allowed his dad to stand before turning towards the now open door.

Standing in the doorway was a man with long black hair halfway in a ponytail. He had bright purple eyes and wore a plain white kimono with a black belt around the waist. The man was smiling at Ichigo and bowed slightly his way.

'He looks like someone important. But what do I do?' Ichigo thought. In response to his thought, he immediately stood up and bowed at the man as well.

"Oh, n-no Shiba-sama! You don't have to do that! I'm only your advisor." The man said and blushed furiously. Ichigo, blushing as well, stood back up straight and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, uh, s-sorry."

"There is no need for apology Shiba-sama." The advisor said and bowed. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you sir. My name is Tamoya. It is an honor to be of service to you." The man stood back up straight and smiled at the bewildered boy in front of him.

"D-Do all nobles have advisors?" Ichigo stuttered out. The man shook his head.

"No, only the heads and heirs of the noble families have advisors. There are only a limited number of us." Tamoya stated and walked farther into the room. He sat down next to Kukaku and Ichigo followed his example. Isshin scooted closer as well, hoping to get in on the conversation.

"I haven't had an advisor in a while, probably because I decided to run away with Masaki." Isshin stated while looking at Tamoya. The man only glanced at him before returning his gaze to Ichigo, causing the older man to pout.

"Does that mean Byakuya has one too? How come I've never seen his advisor before?" Ichigo asked with a curious look.

"Yes, Kuchiki-sama does have an advisor, but he was sent to another noble family to help in healing their sickly head. I have no doubts that you will meet him in time." Tamoya stated with a kind smile. "Now, Shiba-sama, I must accompany you to the dining table. Or would you prefer to eat in your sleeping quarters?"

"I'll just eat in my room tonight. I'm pretty tired still anyway." Ichigo replied with a yawn. Tamoya nodded and exited the room, walking down the hallways to let the servants know of Ichigo's requests.

Ichigo was once again left with Kukaku and Goat Face. The silence wasn't unbearable, but it suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. The Shiba head had no idea what to say or do, and it seemed that Isshin nor Kukaku did either.

"Well Ichigo, I guess we can have your father escort you to your room for tonight." Kukaku stated, breaking the silence. "I doubt he would want to pass up such an opportunity?"

Though it sounded more like a request, Isshin knew it was a demand. The small flare in her reitsu had made that pretty clear to him.

So as to not anger the wild the beast any more than he probably already had, Isshin shot up from his seat and waited for his son to stand. He stared at his son with a pride filled gaze as his son stood up elegantly and as straight as a Kuchiki. He thought of Ichigo as the perfect blend of Shiba and Kuchiki now. He was, without a doubt, proud of who his boy had become.

Once Ichigo stood, he led the much younger boy out of the room. Isshin glanced behind him as they walked through the winding hallways. Smiling, he turned back forward and continued leading.

He was definately proud.


	4. The Ritual

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Ichigo asked Tamoya as he looked in the mirror. He bit his lip and cringed slightly at the sight in front of him. He was given a pure white kimono to wear and it had silver linings on it. At the bottom was the design of what looked like silver flowers and the sleeves were really long; so long that his hands were nearly covered.

"Of course it is Shiba-sama." Tamoya replied, giving up on doing anything with Ichigo's hairand straightening out the noble's kimono. "Kuchiki-sama will be dressed in a similar way as you. Plus, it has been tradition for centuries for the bride to wear white and the groom to wear black."

Ichigo examined himself in the mirror and sighed, a disdainful look on his face. He didn't want this, and he knew Byakuya didn't either. He could just call off the wedding, but what's the point? Byakuya would have nothing to lose, but he would. He'd never be able to enter the Soul Society again. The Shiba clan would be disbanded again. Most of all, he'd never be able to see his friends again. The thought of that; he couldn't bear it.

After Tamoya fixed up his appearance, he was ushered out of the room. He walked down the confusing array of halls in the Kuchiki Manor behind his attendant and noticed the door to the gardens as it came into view. His heart began to race, reminding him of how much he didn't wish to go through with this.

Tamoya offered his arm to Ichigo, who hesitantly took it. A sense of dread flew through him as the doors were opened for them. His limbs began to work on their own, taking him down the stone paved isle. He didn't notice the nearly one hundred people present and sitting in chairs. He didn't notice the faint cast of music playing in the background. All he could see was Byakuya, who waited for him at the alter.

Byakuya was waiting for him, his eyes closed. He wore a black kimono with the same design on it that Ichigo had. His hair was free of it's kenseiken and fell in his face almost carelessly, but made him look handsome nonetheless. Only when Ichigo was close to the alter did he open his eyes and stare at the orange haired teen. What Ichigo saw took his breath away, and not in a good way.

A ruthless glare was sent by the older noble.

Ichigo's heart plummeted. He was just beginning to think that maybe this marriage could work, but what he's seeing now drowned the thought in the deepest part of the ocean. Byakuya hated him, and that was the only message he was receiving. Obviously he'd offended the noble. Most likely his pride.

Ichigo shook the thoughts away, not letting them get in the way. He obviously knew that the noble wanted nothing to do with him, so it shouldn't bother him like it does. But why? How come this heart sunk into despair when Byakuya sent him that look. He wasn't falling for the noble, for he was quite sure of that. He finally figured out another excuse for why. It was because he was so used to protecting other people that it hadn't occurred to him just how much danger he could be in. That death glare nearly killed him, so it pained the teen to think about how many times a sword nearly killed him with more damage than that.

When Ichigo reached the altar, he was restless, and not in the good way. Byakuya was staring the teen down, waiting for him to make even the slightest mistake so he could reprimand or even call the wedding off. He'd do anything, absolutely anything, to get out of this ridiculous marriage.

* * *

'He's actually freaking kissing me!' Ichigo thought to himself when his eyes fluttered open in shock. He hadn't even realized it, but he reluctantly said the words 'I do' and met Byakuya's lips. Reluctance was the key word, for he knew he wouldn't have said them of his own free will. But here he was, willingly kissing the Kuchiki noble without as much as a second thought. In fact, he found himself enjoying it.

His lips were warm and soft against Ichigo's, and they tasted of a freshly brewed tea. Ichigo's eyes were about to flutter closed when Byakuya pulled away and the sound of a cheering crowd finally reached his ears. His blush was clearly seen, reaching all the way to the tips of his ears, but he tried his best to push it down and turned away from the crowd to hid his humility.

Byakuya, on the other hand, didn't have to worry about such a trivial matter, for his body reacted in no way to the kiss. To him, it felt empty and unloving. Ichigo's lips seemed chapped and cold against his own. He forced himself to believe he would feel nothing upon contact, and he was right. No passion or love could be felt through the obviously emotional kiss. Luckily, he didn't see the blush on Ichigo's cheeks, or he would have reprimanded the teen for blushing, though there was no rule on that.

Almost immediately, the newly wed couple was surrounded and pulled away from the alter. They were jostled around between the barrage of people that wanted to speak with them up close. Byakuya was calm and collected on the outside, but that didn't mean he was angry with all of this contact on the inside. Ichigo, though, was more than happy to express his opinion aloud.

"Alright, I think that's a little too close!" He shouted in surprise when one of the females began to rub against his arm and another grabbed his butt. He wondered how Byakuya was able to keep the women off of him all the time, because he was pretty sure the older noble was way more attractive than he would ever be.

"You saving the close contact for the ritual, I presume?" A new voice whispered directly into Ichigo's ear, causing him to scream in fright and jump. Ichigo nearly knocked the new man over as he turned around to face him.

The man had long, bleach blond hair that was styled to look sort of... girly. He wore a pair of wired glasses upon his face, with bright sea green eyes lying behind them. He was smiling directly at Ichigo and gave him a big hug, which Ichigo immediately tried to get out of. He pushed the man off of himself with a bit of difficulty before glaring at him. Tamoya appeared behind the stranger and gave Ichigo a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Kuchiki-Shiba-sama." He said and bowed at Ichigo. "I seem to have forgotten to tell you about the... ahh... ritual." Ichigo looked at him, a horrified expression clear on his facs.

"Tamoya... what exactly is this ritual?" Ichigo asked, a scared pitch to his normally determined voice. Tamoya laughed quietly to himself out of guilt and continnued to rub the back of his neck. Before he could answer, the new guy just blurted it out in front of everybody.

"Oh, this ritual is when you have sex with your husband for the first time, dear!"

All of the color drained from Ichigo's face, but the cheers around him only seemed to grow louder. He looked at Byakuya, hoping on all hope left that the other noble would not go through with this. But when he met Byakuya's gaze, the man turned away from him and began retreating back towards the manor. Ichigo stared in horror after him as he noticed, who could only be his advisor, follow him inside.

"It seems like your husband can't wait another minute!" The new man called out cheerfully and turned to Ichigo with his bright smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kise Raotuko, and I'm here to be your first time homosexuality sex coach!" Ichigo paed further as he took a step back away from Kise.

"M-My... what?" He asked, horrified.

"Now now," Kise said, waving a hand in cront of his face. "There's no need to act this way at all. I promise you I'm the best of the best and I will be sure to make your very first experience as pleasurable as all the rest. Now, Tamoya-san, if you could help me with Kuchiki-Shiba-kun and the preparations, I'd like you to follow me!"

Before Ichigo had any time to react, Kise grabbed onto his hand tightly and began to drag him towards the house. He could hear the shouts of approval behind him and his mind began to race. He didn't know what was going on. At all. Tamoya had even admitted that he forgot to let him know about this ritual. What the hell is this ritual supposed to even do? Ichigo still wasn't even sure if he liked Byakuya, which sure as hell meant he wasn't ready to have sex with the man!

Kisa led him to a room he hadn't been to in the Kuchiki Manor before. The room was empty except for a few mirrors lining the walls. He got a look at his reflection and noticed how visibly pale he was. If it weren't for his eye color or his hair, he would have thought Shiro-Zangetsu was trying to take control of his body. He was scared of the thought, so he quickly pushed it away from his mind and turned his attention to Tamoya and Kise.

A rack of kimonos was in the corner of the room, and they took the liberty of looking through them. Ichigo felt them look at him, analyzing each kimono as they came across it. Every time they looked over at him, it made him weary and feel a little self-concious. It seemed like they were stripping him with their eyes as they evaluated every asset of whatever was going on.

They pulled out a mild green kimono, walking over to Ichigo. They began to throw his wedding kimono over his head and he called out in surprise. He wasn't enjoying this at all, but it was clear that Tamoya was amused and Kise was having fun with what he was doing.

"Now, while we get you ready," Kise began as he tried to take off Ichigo's kimono quickly, but without wrinkling it, "I'm going to explain to you the process of this ritual.

"This ritual is traditional and has been practiced for over a thousand years by all the great noble clans. So since you are now a part of two of them, you have no reasons as to not follow through with it. But I don't plan on giving you a history lesson, so I'm just going to explain the process.

"Fortunately for everyone here, you and your dashing husband will be locked in a room with a kidou barier around it. No sound will be able to come in, or out. Also, the barrier won't go down until the mating process is complete, meaning that you and your spouse won't be able to exit the room either.

"Of course the ritual has some sort of theme to it. Because you are married to a Kuchiki, you will be bathed in sakura scented lotion, so to get your spouse stimulated for the mating. Your spouse won't have to do anything special, since we already know that you yourself are attracted to the smell of sakura. The day of you emerging from the mist already explaining that much to everyone.

"There is only one more required thing. Because you are the wife of this marriage, you will be the uke! Which means I've got to make sure you know how to get your body ready for penetration! Of course, that part is a little bit harder to explain since it requires just a little bit more explination.

"The first step to a safe penetration is making sure your body is relaxed. Never allow your muscles to be tense when you are being penetrated, for it could cause problems with the mating. Second, make sure your spouse is firmly lubricated in some way; this allowing for a smooth and much safer penetration.

"The rest is all up to you! What ever else you do to lead up to the mating, during it, and after all depend on how you wish to spend it. Those parts I have no control of because your own little animal will be released and you can't try and tame something like that. I just wanted you to know of these so that way your spouse isn't upset that that you didn't follow tradition. He seems like the kind of man who would get on to you like that; even in the heat of the moment."

By the time Kise finished his explination on the ritual, Ichigo's body was covered in the new kimono. It was plain, holding no design on it. The green kinomo was accented by the golden obi wrapped around his waist, complimenting not only the kimono, but his hair and toned body. If it weren't for the fact that he was scared out of his mind about this ritual and the specific precautions that must be taken, he probably would have thought that the kimono wasn't all that bad.

Almost immediately, Tamoya and Kise were on him again. This time, bottles of lotion were in their hands and they began to spread it on his body. The smooth yet cold sakura scented lotion stung his skin for a moment as they began to rub it in. He began to feel a little woozy and weak in the knees, so he tried his hardest to keep his balance. Unfortunately, the scent made him feel so weak that he began to stumble forward.

Tamoya was quick in action, though, catching Ichigo before he fell to his knees. Kise still kept rubbing the lotion on his legs and arms as the advisor held him up.

"Sorry about this, Kuchiki-Shiba-sama, we know you've already began to feel stimulated by the smell, so we're trying to hurry." Tamoya said.

When Ichigo realized that he wasn't going to pass out, he felt himself tense slightly. The scent of Sakura reminded him of Byakuya and he found himself thinking about the noble. Because of the lotion invading his senses, he found that they weren't just regular thoughts that wouldn't leave his head.

They were dirty thoughts.

"Judging by the look on your face, your having the thoughts now, yes?" Kisa questioned as he finished applying liotion. "This lotion is a special concoction made by the members of the Research and Development Department. It's scent is supposed to bring forth thoughts of a specific person and make you think a little dirty, getting you ready for what is to come. It's supposed to help you feel more relaxed with your parnter and a little more willing if you become reluctant in any way during the process."

Ichigo blinked his eyes in horror, trying his hardest to stand up by himself on his feat. The explination slowly began to sink into his mind and he felt like there was a piece of his soul that would be dieing tonight, if not all of it. He knew that anything created by squad twelve would only cause trouble sometime in the future.

Nothing good ever happens when you involve a group led by Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Right then, Ichigo knew that he was screwed.


	5. Consummation

Ichigo wasn't feeling up to any of this. He might have thought that this could somehow work, but he was no longer sure. He felt weak and he needed help from Tamoya and Kise to walk through the halls of the manor. If he could remember correctly from his clouded memory, they were leading him to the room where Byakuya would be waiting for him. Ichigo found himself thinking about Byakuya again when he thought of the mans name.

'I wonder what kind of kimono he will be wearing? Either way, he'll look beautiful as always. I can't wait until I get there and in bed with him. I can't wait to feel his lips against my own and my fingers threaded through his soft hair. The feeling of his body up against mine as we share the heated air between us... What am I thinking? Snap out of it! I don't like Byakuya like that. This is only something required, not because I want to. Right?'

A strange tightness formed inside of Ichigo's stomach and he groaned. His breath came a little ragged and he stared in front of him with blurred vision. His feet faltered a step and Tamoya and Kise made sure that he stayed standing upright. He took a deep breath and continued taking slow steps forward.

'This can't possibly be what I want. I'm going to kill Kurotsuchi when this is over. It's all his fault that I'm thinking about Byakuya this way! Thinking about how pleasurable it would be when he enters my body... No! Damn it! The bastard doesn't even like me! In fact, he's being colder than ever! I can't believe that I'm even going to be doing this. I know he doesn't want to lay a hand on me in that way, but his so called pride demands that he do whatever the elders of the clan tell him too. Damn it! He's broken the rules before, so why not now? What the hell happened to make him obey the laws like this? He's not like the Kuchiki I've heard he was when he was younger. Come on Byakuya, if you don't want to do this, then you don't have to. I'd find a way to get out of that barrier so we don't have to do this.'

Ichigo's heart clenched in his chest, and he found himself gripping the front of his kimono. Pain laced through his next few heartbeats as he clenched his teeth.

'He won't want to do this, but what about me? Why does it hurt at the thought of him not liking me? I... I think I really might want to do this. I wouldn't mind doing this at all. In fact, I can't wait for this to happen. But, why do I have a sudden change of heart? Just what did Kurotsuchi put in that lotion? Bastard's probably messing with my mind. I don't even know if I can trust my own thoughts or feelings right now.'

"Just a little bit farther, Kuchiki-Shiba-sama. Hang on just a little longer," a voice said next to Ichigo.

'It sounds so far away. Who is that? Is that Tamoya? He sounds so distant... huh? We're getting close? Close to where?' Ichigo thought as he looked around with hazy eyes. He couldn't figure out where he was. It didn't look familiar to him, but it felt like a sense of deja vu. 'Where... am I?'

"You remember protocol, correct?" another voice asked, this one a little less familiar to him. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, trying to get a picture in his mind. He heard a gasp next to him and suddenly, he wasn't moving anymore.

"He's not responding!" Tamoya shouted in a worried manner and looked at his master's glazed and unseeing eyes. "Kuchiki-Shiba-sama! Kuchiki-Shiba-sama! Say something! Kuchiki-Shiba-sama!"

"Calm down, Tamoya-san," Kise said from the other side of the unresponsive noble. "Kuchiki-Shiba-sama is just a little too overcome with lust at the moment. One little action from me should break him out of his trance just enough to be able to respond to our voices."

"Kise-san? What are you-" Tamoya was cut off when he shouted in fright. Kise had moved his hand behind the noble and slapped him. Hard.

A sudden intake of breath reached both advisers. Tamoya looked and saw that Ichigo's eyes were no longer as glazed as they were before and were staring at him with a sense of familiarity. With a sigh of relief, Tamoya placed his master's arm back over his shoulder and began to lead the noble down the hallway.

"Was that really necessary, Kise-san?" Tamoya whispered to the other man. Kise looked at him and tilted his head.

"Was what necessary, Tamoya-san?"

"You know... slapping Kuchiki-Shiba-sama in the butt? Surely there could have been other ways to get him out of a trance, yes?"

"My, my, Tamoya-san! You are just too funny!" Kise said with a loud laugh. "Yes, there are other ways, but I find that, that way is a much more efficient way. Plus, it gives me a little fun on my job. It's not everyday I get to help a male prepare for their consummation. It's quite a thrill to be doing my job. No pair of newly weds is the same, which gives me a new chance for exploration! Besides, your handsome Kuchiki-Shiba-sama hardly reacted, which means he's so overcome with lust that he can't think straight. I've never met a man who's fallen so hard for someone."

"But, Kuchiki-Shiba-sama didn't exactly like Kuchiki-sama before their marriage," Tamoya pointed out as the room they were heading to came into view. "So I doubt he could develop such strong feelings within a week of a sudden courtship."

"Love is strange in a beautiful way, Tamoya-san," Kise told the adviser and sighed. "No matter what, it always finds a way. Most of the time, the feeling builds up over time within a body before even the mind knows that they are in love. Others, the mind just simply says that they are in love, then the heart and soul eventually follow suit if it is true. My guess is that Kuchiki-Shiba-sama here went through the former kind of falling in love. It built up so much that now it's just waiting to be released on that hunk of a husband he has. I'm quite jealous of this boy, here. He got the most beautiful man in all of the Seireitei. I wish I could be him right now and let that handsome man invade me instead. Ah, what a bliss that would be."

Tamoya coughed nervously as Kise was ranting and began to flush as such phrases escaped the adviser so easily. "Uh... Kise-san... you're making me a little uncomfortable," Tamoya admitted as they stopped in front of their destination. Kise sent him a shocked look and blinked a few times.

"Oh, I'm sorry Tamoya-san," he began. "I didn't think that I'd make you feel uncomfortable. Forgive me. I'm just used to speaking what's on my mind and no one has ever really commented on it." Tamoya sent the man a smile.

"It's no big deal, Kise-san. I think it's good practice to be able to speak your mind so freely," Tamoya laughed meekly and stared at his once again unfocused master.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Kise asked and motioned with his head towards the noble in their arms.

"Ahh... no thank you, Kise-san. I'd rather not be the one to do that."

Kise shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"O-oi!" Ichigo managed to call out, albeit weakly. His gaze focused just enough to see the victorious smile on Kise's face and the guilty one on Tamoya's. He glared slightly at Kise, but soon found himself being pushed into the room.

Ichigo lost his balance, stumbling forward and beginning to fall because of the weakness in his knees. He thought for sure that he would land flat on his face, making Byakuya get mad at him and not allow the new noble a pleasurable experience. What he didn't expect was to be caught under the arms and brought into the lap of said noble. This momentary shocked registered on Ichigo's face as it began to flush at the sudden contact.

"You two lovebirds have fun in there!" Kise shouted with a bright smile, waving at the two nobles.

"Be careful, Kuchiki-Shiba-sama, Kuchiki-sama," Tamoya stated, bowing towards the two. "Putting up kido barrier now," as he said that, he pointed his fingers out and drew a series of figures in the air before a bright pink, see through barrier formed around the room.

Tamoya sent the couple a reassuring smile and bowed once more, sliding the shoji door shut.

Byakuya stared down at the noble in his arms. The orange headed teen was staring up at him with a glazed look in his eyes, for the moment, unseeing. Then, he watched as the teen blinked, gaining his sense of self and looked up at Byakuya with a shocked look once again. His face reddened even further and he opened his mouth to speak.

"B-Byakuya, I'm-"

"There is no need to apologize," Byakuya said, cutting him off. He set the teen back on his feet, helping to steady him as he stumbled slightly. Ichigo took a deep breath and sent a grateful look to the older noble.

Byakuya then took his hand, surprising him even more. To Ichigo, it felt warm, and as soft as the petal on a flower. Not only that, but it felt as if the hand fit perfectly in his. He cast his gaze away from Byakuya's as the noble gently led him to the bed. They both sat down, messing the covers up as they moved their bodies atop of them.

The older noble began to make the first move by pulling at the string of Ichigo's kimono. But before he could tug on it, Ichigo placed a hand on his, stopping any movement. Byakuya looked directly at Ichigo, seeing the curious and uncertain gaze that looked at him. He sent the boy a questioning look, which was only replied with, at first, a sigh.

"Byakuya," Ichigo began, taking a deep breath, "Do you really want to do this?" To the question, all the older noble could do was huff.

"As the head of the noble Kuchiki clan-"

"Cut the crap, Byakuya," Ichigo said, cutting him off. Ichigo moved his body to where he was directly facing the other noble. He moved his free hand and pointed it at the nobles chest, touching the fabric of the man's blue kimono. "I want a real answer. One that comes from your heart and not your head. An answer that isn't expected of you to say. None of that noble duty stuff. I want you to answer this, not as a Kuchiki, but as Byakuya without the noble title."

Byakuya gazed at the boy with an unseen incredulous look. Make a decision that wasn't required of him? How absurd! He's allowed the council to control him for so much of his life, that he forgot what it was like to make decisions for himself. But, what of the question. What does he really want? Not the noble inside of him, screaming that he must do as he was told, but the Byakuya that he locked away all those years ago?

"I am... uncertain," He finally replied after what felt like forever. He surprised himself with his answer, but continued nonetheless. "I feel as like if I do this, it would be an act of betrayal. I never got the chance to do this with Hisana because she was to ill and I didn't want to worsen her illness. My thoughts are that if I do this, it will make her unhappy. I still haven't got over her death, and if I do this, it will be seen to her as an act of moving on. I just don't want it to look like I'm moving on too quickly. I don't want to hurt her."

"You are such an idiot, Byakuya," Ichigo sighed.

"Excuse me?" Byakuya asked, his eyes widening just a fraction as he stared at Ichigo.

"Do you really think you'll make Hisana unhappy by doing this? Think with your head! She would be rejoicing, wherever it is she went, on you making your own decisions and letting your heart take you where it pleases. You wouldn't be betraying her, at all. She would want you to move on, to live a happy life, wouldn't she? You wouldn't be betraying her at all. Get your head out of the gutter! Do what you think is right! Not what the council thinks is best for you. It's what she would have wanted."

Byakuya cast his gaze away, unable to look at Ichigo in the eyes. As much as he hates to admit it, what the boy said was right. Hisana wouldn't be upset that he's making something of his life. No, she'd be happy that he found himself again. All she ever wanted was to make him happy whenever she could. What he's been doing since her death is what has most likely made her upset.

He should have known that something like this was bound to happen. But who is he to disobey the elders of the council?

'I am Byakuya,' he thought to himself. 'I am a grown man and I don't need to take orders from anybody if I so wish. I've broken the rules before, so I know I should be able to do so again.'

His gaze went back up to the teen and he was about ready to give him his answer when he saw the look in Ichigo's eyes. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at the emotion displayed there. He seemed relatively happy and concerned, but he also showed hints of longing and sadness.

The show of these emotions caused Byakuya to shiver. He never imagined he'd be effecfed by another's emotions, but now he was desperately wanting to help the noble in any way he can. He felt the undying need to make sure the only thing the boy in front of him expressed was happiness.

The sudden swell of emotion made Byakuya's mind cut short on his thoughts. He baffled himself as he realized what this feeling was. He hadn't felt it in a long time, not since his previous wife had been alive.

'Am I... falling in love again?" He asked himself as he stared deeply into the soft brown eyes of the teen in front of him.

"Byakuya?" Ichigo asked, concern evident in his voice. "Are you alright?" He brought his other hand to Byakuya's and gave them a light squeeze.

Byakuya blinked out of his stupor, sighing lightly.

"I am fine," he replied and gazed in between them at their clasped hands.

"Well, do you have an answer for me, Byakuya?"

The older noble nodded his head and removed his hands from the grasp of Ichigo's. "I would like to apologize, Ichigo," he started, "I realize that I was acting inappropriately during the ceremony earlier."

"Inappropriately?" The teen asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "Byakuya, you acted how you thought you should. I'm not going to hold you against that. What would be the point? If I'm going to be living the rest of my life with you, then I don't want to make it miserable by holding some grudge. Besides, I forgave you long ago for that. I knew you had your reasons, but I mainly thought it was mostly because you hated me. I understand your reasoning, so don't push yourself over."

"If you don't mind," Byakuya started as he moved his hands back to undoing the string of Ichigo's kimono, "I'd like to give you your answer."

He brought himself closer to Ichigo, pressing his lips up against his. The contact shocked the teen, but soon, he was kissing Byakuya back. Byakuya finished pulling at the string of the kimono and began to slide the sleeves off of Ichigo's shoulders, feeling the skin that lied underneath.

Ichigo felt Byakuya deepening the kiss as he slipped off his kimono. Soon, he found himself lying on his back in only his boxers as the most beautiful man in all of Soul Society began to trail kisses down the side of his neck. As heated breath escaped his lips, he began to remove Byakuya's kimono as well, leaving a trail of shivers down the noble's spine as his fingers made contact with soft skin.

Byakuya moved away from the teens neck as he heard the pleasurable moans escape the boy's lips. While he was still vulnerable, Byakuya brought his lips back onto Ichigo's and stuck his tongue inside of the boy's mouth before access was denied. He explored with his tongue, enticing more moans to come from the writhing body beneath him.

While he enjoyed toying with the boy's mouth, he slipped off the boy's boxers, leaving him completely exposed. He felt the erection the boy had hit the inside of his thigh, causing him to moan inside of the boys mouth. He soon found his own boxers off as he separated his mouth from the boy's, looking deeply into the lust filled brown eyes beneath him and he shared the heated breath between them.

"W-We can't forget-" Ichigo began, panting, only to be cut off the the noble above him.

"I've got that covered, Ichigo," he replied, moving a hand up to the stand beside the bed. He opened the first drawer, pulling out a tube of half used lubricant. "This is what is used during first time consummation for all the heads of the Kuchiki clan. This will be no different."

"D-Do you want me too...?" Ichigo began, his face reddening as his request reached the ears of the older noble.

"Only if you would like to," Byakuya replied, steeling himself for the new contact as he handed the bottle to the blushing teen.

The process was swift, but that doesn't mean it wasn't pleasurable. Ichigo relished in the moans that came from the man on top of him, intrigued that the noble could even make such sounds. When he was done, he felt the older noble position himself at his entrance and looked up.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" He asked once more.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question?" Byakuya replied. When he gained a slow nod from Ichigo, he began to push himself inside, slowly and gently as to not cause too much pain.

At first, all Ichigo could recognize was a feeling of pain. His face contorted into a look of displeasure, causing the noble above him to freeze. As the pain began to ebb away, he slowly experimented by moving his hips. When he felt something that was pleasurable and not pain, he sighed at nodded his head towards the noble above him.

With this confirmation, Byakuya soon began to thrust in and out of the teen. Their bodies began to connect, electing moans from the both of them. The sweet scent of sakura filled the air as they moved along each other. The scent reached their noses, causing them to become more involved with each other. They worked in unison, their reitsu soon beginning to flare around them and causing the barrier around the room waver.

Ichigo was the first to release, his bodily fluids spewing between both of them. Byakuya was also reaching climax. His thrust had become sloppy and he was exerting more force, but he soon found himself at release. Once he filled Ichigo with his seed, Byakuya heard the boy let out a cry of pleasure, calling his name.

At that point, they felt the barrier around the room lift, leaving them the choice of being able to leave. Byakuya was barely able to hold himself up, but he was able to do so as he looked at the man beneath him. Ichigo was panting just as hard as he was, but he saw something that was rare for the boy.

A smile. A real smile filled with happiness. The look of pure bliss on the teens face caused the corners of Byakuya's lips to upturn slightly

'I know now that I have made the right choice. Do not worry, Hisana, I will never forget you, but I am now about to start a new life with a new goal in mind.'


	6. Itamigiri

**A/N: I would like you inform you that I will be introducing Byakuya's attendant/ boduguard in this chapter. The OC is definately not mine, for he is Spunky0nes' s OC, Tesuya Kuchiki. If you like reading these kinds of books, I highly recommend that you check out Spunky's account because the books that are written are absolutely fantastic!**

"Well, I guess we could call this a success," Tamoya said as the barrier he put up began to pulse and waver. He looked over towards Kise, who was, without a doubt, smirking because of his accomplishment.

"What did I tell you, Tamoya-san?" He asked and chuckled to himself, setting a hand on the boy's shoulders. "Love always finds a way."

"Yes, you've mentioned that before," Tamoya replied and slumped his shoulders. He cast a glance at the closed door with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He brought a hand up to his mouth and began to think silently to himself.

They couldn't hear what was going on in the room, for which he was grateful. With the way that the barrier has been pulsating, he didn't want to know what they were doing exactly. Just thinking that they were even joined in an intimate moment, made a blush crawl up onto his cheeks. It made him feel strange just thinking about it.

"Are you uncomfortable, Tamoya-san?" Kise asked, looking at the young adviser. Tamoya jumped slightly at the sound of his voice and turned to him.

"Ah, no," he replied, "not really. I was just thinking to myself is all." He mentally kicked himself at the subtle lie. He could admit that he was uncomfortable to himself. But it's not the way that Kise is thinking, he knew that for sure.

"You're such a terrible liar, Tamoya-san," Kise said and smiled. "You may not be uncomfortable about what your master is doing, but I can tell you're uncomfortable about something. You can tell me, I always like keeping a few secrets."

"I don't know, Kise-san," Tamoya replied, his blush deepening. "I'd much rather keep my secrets to myself."

"Ah, Tamoya-kun!" Tamoya turned away from Kise when he heard his name being called out from down the hall. He was greeted with the sight of a smiling Takuma making his way over to them.

"Hello, Shiba-sama," Tamoya greeted, bowing towards the green haired individual.

"How many times have I told you, Tamoya-kun, that you don't have to be so formal with me?" Takuma asked, tapping the man's shoulder with his fingers.

"It wouldn't be right if I wasn't formal with you, Shiba-sama," Tamoya stated as he stood back up. "Besides, I was trained for this position and I wish not to lose my place in life."

"Who said you'd be losing your place just because I want you to drop honorifics and call me by my first name?" Takuma asked, smiling brightly down at his cousin's adviser. Tamoya's eyes widened at what he was told and a flush of pink tinted his cheeks.

"Well... I guess- no! I have to follow the rules! I'm sorry, but I can't follow through with your request Shiba-sama," Tamoya stated, putting his foot down.

"I guess it's too bad, Tamoya-kun," Takuma stated and bent down so his lips were right next to the adviser's ear. "How about I put it this way? I order you to call me by my first name without the honorifics."

Takuma pulled away and noticed the even darker flush on Tamoya's cheeks. He chuckled as the male in front of him stuttered when replying.

"I-I guess since it was an order, the council won't mind... T-Takuma-san."

"There you go!" Takuma said, brightly smiling at Tamoya. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Pardon this interruption," Kise stated, stepping into their conversation, "but I believe the barrier is down now, Tamoya-san."

The three in the hallway turned expectantly and waited for the door to open. All three of them heard shuffling from behind the door before it was finally opened, revealing the newly weds. Both of them were messily dressed and their hair a little bit on the wild side. Byakuya was supporting some of Ichigo's weight, for the younger noble couldn't keep his balance. The effect of the lotion lathered on his body had yet to fully disspiate, so he still needed a little help getting around.

"Ah, Kuchiki-kun!" Takuma says with a smile. "You knocked up my cousin pretty hard, ne?"

"I suggest you keep those comments to yourself," Byakuya replied while looking directly into Takuma's green eyes. "But since you wanted to know, I will inform you that I indeed knock Ichigo up."

Takuma soon found himself laughing at the way Byakuya phrased his sentence. Kise had joined him wholeheartedly, but Tamoya found that he began to feel a little awkward with the sexual talk.

"I never thought I'd hear those words coming from your mouth, Kuchiki-kun," Takuma stated, calming himself down and throwing Ichigo's arm over his shoulder.

"But, T-Takuma-san! I'm supposed to-"

"Don't worry about it, Tamoya-san," Takuma said, waving the attendant off as he came closer to them. "I can handle carrying my cousin around for a while. He's not all that heavy and I'm not that incapable."

Tamoya glanced at Ichigo with an uneasy look before reluctantly nodding his head. "Alright but be careful with him, Takuma-san." The green haired noble nodded in agreement and began to walk away with Byakuya.

"Now you take care Kuchiki-san, Kuchiki-Shiba-san! Call me if you ever need any more help when it comes to intercourse! I'd be quite glad to come back again sometime!" Kise shouted down the hallway at the retreating figures. Ichigo involuntarily shivered in the grasps of his cousin and husband as he heard what Kise said and was quite happy when they were quite a distance away from the straightforward man.

Ichigo tried to collect his bearings in his scattered mind. He was unsure of how to feel at the moment, but he knew that he felt happy. The warmth inside of him seemed to stay, and he was grateful because it was what helped him get his mind off of what Kise had said to him.

'It's strange,' he thought, looking up as he began to hear the distant calls of the party they were nearing. 'Is this really what love feels like? It's not at all what I expected it to be. I always thought that it was just holding hands, kissing, having kids and saying I love you. It's not like that at all. There's more to it than that, and I've only just realized it. It's not just the actions that you partake in, but the feelings that grow deep inside. This warmth is comforting, and is definitely not at all what I was expecting to feel. Are all relationships like this? Feeling protected when your with your lover and feeling a strong need to protect them? Love is strange, but I do have to admit, I like it. It's surprising that the man I seem to have fallen in love with is Byakuya, but I'm happy about it. In fact, I wouldn't have it any other way.'

"You may leave now, Takuma Shiba," Byakuya stated as they neared the door to the gardens where the party was taking place. "Ichigo and I will be fixing ourselves up before we head back to the gardens."

"I can't just leave you two alone," Takuma said with a smirk. "How will I know that you're not just trying to get away so you can spend more time with my cousin?"

"Why is it that you must be so repulsive when it comes to what leaves your mouth?" Byakuya asked, glaring slightly at the other noble.

Takuma chuckled and carefully placed all of the weight he was holding onto Byakuya's body. "I just enjoy teasing you, Kuchiki-kun."

"You and that werecat always do," Byakuya huffed, adjusting Ichigo in his arms. "To answer your question, I will not be alone with Ichigo. Tetsuya will be close by as he always is."

"Tetsu-kun?" Takuma asked, pleasant surprise flitting over his features. "I haven't seen him in a while. How has your dear cousin been? Last time I saw him he was still coping with the world outside of the half-noble prison, Itamigiri."

"Tetsuya is doing well. He has found his way into the noble life and is growing accustomed to our ways. He now holds a place in the council and switches off from guarding me to guarding the estate. His love for nature is still profound and he still holds some of wilder sides and hi deep love fore animals and nature. His shyness is holding him back from meeting many new people, but I will allow him to take as much time as he needs to, to recover from what happened to him in Itamigiri. "

"And Arashi-kun?"

"He is fine as well. He still teases Tetsuya quite often and Tetsuya enjoys the company of his horse. They are of the same soul, so if you ever see him when he isn't using his waterforms to guard me or the estate, he will most likely be near or riding Arashi."

"I'm happy to hear that Tetsu-kun is getting better," Takuma replied sincerely with a small smile. "Let him know that it would be nice to see him again when he has the time. Take care Kuchiki-kun!" Takuma gave the other noble a small wave before heading towards the gardens.

Byakuya looked down at Ichigo, who was shifting in his arms and trying to walk on his own. Byakuya shook his head, holding onto Ichigo just a little tighter. Ichigo looked up at him in question and Byakuya sighed.

"You may walk, but use me as support."

"What?" Ichigo asked incredulously. "Why?"

"You are obviously not able to stand comfortably on your own two feet. I would not have offered the support had I thought you would be able to walk on your own."

"Uh... okay," Ichigo replied uncertainly, shifting to where he could walk, but he was leaning into Byakuya at the same time.

They walked down the corridors and towards another room. They entered inside of it and Ichigo took notice that it was a spare room in the manor that must be used for visiting nobles of high status. Byakuya set Ichigo down on the bed and went over to a nearby dresser, picking up a brush before climbing in the bed behind Ichigo.

Catching Ichigo by surprise, Byakuya began to run the brush through his orange hair, working swiftly and painlessly through the tangled knots that had formed while they were in bed. Since Byakuya didn't speak, Ichigo chose not to either and just enjoyed the feeling of Byakuya's hands running through his hair after the brush to smooth it down. After Byakuya was done, Ichigo's hair was still defying gravity, but it looked and felt softer than before. Byakuya just ran his hand through the young noble's hair, relishing in the soft tingles it sent through his hand.

Ichigo felt ready to fall asleep as Byakuya's hands combed through his scalp gently. The comforting touches were lulling him and causing his eye lids to droop, but he kept them open so he could continue feeling the serene atmosphere and stay with his new lover.

'That's right,' Ichigo thought in amazement, 'I think I actually got through to Byakuya before the consummation. He seemed much more ready to do that than he was before. I wonder what I said that actually got him to thinking. Was it the fact that he should be able to choose his own decisions without the help from the council? Or was it the fact that I mentiomed that Hisana would be happy that he moved on without forgetting her? I can't tell, but I know something about him has changed. I feel even more comfortable in his presence now than I did before the wedding. I feel like I belong to him just as much as he belongs to me now. It feels... nice.'

"Mmm... Byakuya?"

To Ichigo's slight displeasure, Byakuya paused running his hands through his hair and waited quietly for Ichigo to continue.

"Don't you think it's a little unfair?" Ichigo asked as he turned around and faced the older noble.

"What is it that seems to be unfair, Ichigo?" Byakuya asked, raising an eyebrow in question at his lover.

"Shouldn't I be able to brush your hair as well since you brushed mine?" Ichigo asked, a small smile playing at the edge of his lips.

"It is only fair that you treat me with the same kindness," Byakuya nodded, handing the brush to Ichigo and allowed the male to begin brushing his hair.

Ichigo went easy with the brush, making sure not to tear any of Byakuya's hair as he worked on brushing it smooth. He couldn't believe just how soft Byakuya's hair really was and he ran his hand over it each time he brought the brush down for another stroke. He picked up the scent of sakura coming from the man and breathed it in deeply.

"Hey Byakuya, I have a question. It involves this Tetsuya person that you mentioned earlier when we were still in the hallway. Just who is he?" Ichigo asked, hoping to feed his growing curiosity.

"Tetsuya is my cousin as well as my attendant and my bodyguard," Byakuya replied as Ichigo continued to work out the knots that seemed to have formed abundantly throughout his hair.

"You mentioned that he was a half-noble and he went to some prison called Itamigiri."

"Yes, Tetsuya is a half-noble, which means that he is of noble and commoner blood. When Tetsuya was born, he was cared for by his mother, Kiko, for six years while under the surveilance of the guards at Itamigiri. Then, he was removed from his mother's care because he was deemed old enough to be entered into the children's cells. When you meet Tetsuya, he can tell you more about his experience at Itamigiri because it is not my place to be telling about his life at that place without his permisson."

"But what was the point of this prison?" Ichigo asked, pausing mid-brush as he tried to concentrate on the little history lesson he was recieving from Byakuya.

"Itamigiri was created by a band of angry nobleman who thought that half-nobles had no place amongst us pure bred nobles. The prison was illegal and kept a secret from anyone who wasn't involved in capturing and guarding the half-nobles. Sometimes, much harsher punishment would be involved from those who knew about the prison and the half-nobles imprisoned. Even worse, experimentations were also taking place on the bodies of the captured. Unfortunately, all documents of these experiments and who was involved had been stolen and are as of yet to be located. We do not have any idea exactly what the half-nobles have gone through and the only information we recieve is what we are told by those who were incarcerated. We never directly ask them questions about their life, though, because it would be inconvenient to put them under the stress of talking about their memories in that place. Most half-nobles had truble coping in the world outside of Itamigiri because many were born and raised in that prison. That alone is enough to know that what ever happened in that place was a horrifying experience."

Ichigo involuntarily shivered at the thought of what could have possible happened to the nobles trapped inside of Itamigiri. 'Why would anybody do such a thing to anyone?'

"How were the half-nobles able to escape the prison if it was supposed to be some sort of secret?" Ichigo asked, creasing his eyebrows as he began to run the brush through Byakuya's almost knot free hair again.

"I had caught wind of the possibility of there being a prison and I took a group of men with me to scout it out. When we were positive that Itamigiri was real, I rallied more troops and we stormed the prison, rescuing the trapped nobles that were inside. I was able to find Tesuya myself and I helped him escape along with others. I was able to convince my grandfather to allow Tetsuya to join the family and he was adopted by Sadao, one of the leaders of the Kuchiki subfamilies, not long after. Ever since then, I had trained Tetsuya myself in the art of a noble as well as a shinigami. Aratani, Tetsuya's adopted sister, helped me with getting Tetsuya accustomed to being brought into the Kuchiki clan."

Ichigo closed his eyes, not believing that there could have been something so horrible out there in the world. Imprisoning someone just because they aren't of a specified blood type? That's cruel and inhumane in so many ways. No matter what, people shouldn't have to deal with such hardships.

"If you don't mind me asking, where is Tetsuya?" Ichigo asked, setting the brush down beside him as he began to comb his fingers through Byakuya's hair as the older noble had done for him.

"He is nearby and just a call away, watching over me as he should. I have found that he had gained a deep sense of loyalty to me, but I do not yet understand exactly why that is."

"Why wouldn't he be loyal to you?" Ichigo asked incredulously. "You saved him from that wretched prison! Who wouldn't be loyal to someone who helped them get away from torture and a life of living hell? If you ended up saving me like you did him, I'd bet you that I'd be worshiping the ground you step on. It's not that hard to see after what you've done for him, Byakuya. I can tell that whenever I meet Tetsuya, I'm sure to like him. He seems to have gone through so much, yet he still holds on tight. He sounds like a very strong person."

"Indeed, my cousin is very strong in his own right," Byakuya replied, smiling at the thought of his cousin. "We best be headng back to the party. If we keep the guests waiting much longer, we are going to be having to repair some of the doors in the Kuchiki manor."

"Eh, we'll be able to afford it, so it shouldn't be too much of a worry," Ichigo replied with a chuckle, but stood up from the bed anyway and followed his lover back to the gardens.


	7. Twinkling in the Night

Ichigo slipped his hand into Byakuya's as they walked down the hallway towards the gardens. The feel of the man's soft hand clasped in his made him feel warm inside and he allowed the feeling of serenity to flow through his veins. To his surprise, Byakuya tightened his grip on their hands and stepped a little closer to Ichigo, their arms touching as they walked side by side. Ichigo smiled slightly, enjoying the close contact he was recieving.

They neared the doors to the gardens and stopped right before they reached them. Ichigo looked at Byakuya as the noble turned to face him. He noticed that the older man had the slightest of smiles appearing on his face and couldn't help but allow his own smile to widen. Byakuya moved his free hand to grab Ichigo's and stared into the teens eyes. Ichigo stared right back, nearly getting lost inside of his lover's blue eyes before Byakuya's voice broke him from his trance.

"Ichigo," Byakuya started, noticing that the teen seemed to blink from his trance when he spoke. When he saw that he had Ichigo's full attention, Byakuya continued. "I know that this is new to you; the fact that you are married, that is. But I must warn you, there will be some conversations going on out there and uncomfortable questions that we will be asked, but I would like to tell you to not let them bother you. The conversations you will not be able to avoid hearing, but you will be able to refuse answering any questions you are asked."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Ichigo asked, squeezing Byakuya's hands with his own as he sent a reassuring smile towards the older man. "Don't worry about it, Byakuya. I've had my moments of embarrassment, and I think that this will be mild compared to what Kon did with my body before Rukia and I realized he was a mod soul. I think I'll be fine facing the crowd out there."

"Only if you are sure," Byakuya stated wearily and turned back towards the door with Ichigo.

They both slid the doors open at the same time, making their entry seem a little more dramatic than it needed to be. Once the doors were open, Ichigo stared in shock as all of the people who were partying stopped what they were doing and started clapping. Whistles broke out through the crowd as shouts of glee reached the ears of the newly wed couple. Ichigo felt Byakuya tighten the grip on their hands as they stepped away from the safety of the doors and were crowded almost instantly by both familiar and unfamiliar faces.

The buzzing of voices rattled Ichigo's brain and he was almost unable to keep his hold on Byakuya as the crowd kept pulling the two apart or pushing them closer together. He felt like he was a ping pong ball, constantly being hit back and forth between people in the crowd.

Ichigo was able to drown out the conversation and questions that were thrown his way, but he was getting easily annoyed at being tossed back and forth. He looked over to Byakuya and noticed that the other male seemed just as agitated as he was. He was tempted to do something, but he was suddenly pulled out of the crowd forcefully, his hand leaving the safety of Byakuya's. He had little time to do anything before his body was captured in the grip of another and his surroundings blurred. When the sudden motion ceased, Ichigo looked at the person who held him.

"What the hell was that for, Rukia?" Ichigo asked the petite shinigami as she pushed him towards the gates of the Kuchiki manor.

"Just be quiet, Ichigo," she demanded, sighing. "Stay here and wait while I grab nii-sama."

Ichigo just stared at Rukia incredulously as the female flash stepped out of sight. He sighed and waited in the place Rukia left him, crossing his arms and tilting his head towards the sky. Not long after Rukia left him, she returned with her brother, who looked grateful for being torn from the rowdy crowd in the gardens.

"What is the meaning of this, Rukia?" Byakuya asked, looking down at his sister. She turned to him and smiled.

"It wasn't my idea," she replied as she led them out of the gates and towards a black arabian stallion.

"Who's idea was it then?" Ichigo asked as he stared in amazement at the stallion in front of him.

"It was mine."

Ichigo turned around and saw a male appear from the shadows. He looked at the boy in amazement, noticing something right away about the boy. He was almost an exact copy of Byakuya, but had a more delicate build and softer facial features. Also, the boy didn't wear the Kuchiki family scarf or kenseikan, making him look a little more relaxed than his husband. Looking into the boy's eyes, he also deducted that the boy loved to be free willed and had great spirit.

"Watashi no itoko," Byakuya started, turning to look at his cousin, "what have you planned for us?"

"It's a secret, cousin," Tetsuya replied, walking a little cautiously towards Byakuya, looking over at Ichigo a little shyly. "Think of it as my present to the both of you in congratulations on your marriage."

Byakuya smiled slightly at his cousin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"This is Tetsuya?" Ichigo asked, stepping forward a little closer to Byakuya's cousin.

"Yes," Tetsuya replied for Byakuya. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuchiki-Shiba-sama."

"You can just call me Ichigo," the orange haired boy replied, sending a smile towards Tetsuya. Tetsuya looked up a little in shock before smiling slightly.

"Alright, Ichigo-sama."

"I'm really not going to get used to that 'sama' stuff," Ichigo stated and chuckled slightly to himself.

"Would you like us to get on Arashi then, watashi no itoko?" Byakuya asked his cousin.

When Tetsuya nodded, Byakuya mounted the stallion and held out a hand towards Ichigo. Ichigo looked at it cautiously before slowly taking Byakuya's hand in his own.

"I've never ridden a horse before," Ichigo mumbled as he got situated behind Byakuya.

"Do not worry, Ichigo-sama," Tetsuya stated and began to stroke Arashi's neck. "Arashi is a great horse and he'll take care of you, right Arashi?" He asked, looking into the stallion's similar sapphire eyes. Arashi nuzzled Tetsuya's cheek and Tetsuya smiled at the stallion. "He says he won't go too fast since part of the trip is enjoying the scenery."

"You can communicate with Arashi?" Ichigo asked and looked at Tetsuya with interest.

"Of course, Ichigo-sama. Arashi is a part of my own soul that manifested when I couldn't contain all of my power. We speak to each other through our minds as a way of communication and we can also use the powers of my zanpakuto."

"That's amazing," Ichigo breathed out, stunned.

"Good luck nii-sama, Ich- erm... nii-sama?" Rukia questioned and bit the inside of her lip as she looked questioningly at Ichigo.

"Just call me Ichigo like you always have, Rukia," Ichigo replied, ruffling the young woman's hair and causing her to pout and try to fix it.

"Go on ahead, Arashi," Tetsuya said to the stallion, patting his neck. "I'll be near in case there's trouble."

Arashi nuzzled Tetsuua once again before he began trotting down the stone path and away from the Kuchiki manor.

As Ichigo got used to riding on a horse, he wrapped his arms around Byakuya and looked around in amazement. He never noticed the beauty of nature in the Soul Society before, and the world of the living has nothing compared to what the Soul Society has to offer. A mixture of trees were laced in the forest; a lot of which would normally never be able to thrive in the same habitat on earth. There were Great Oak trees, cherry trees, weeping willows, pecan trees, pine trees, maple trees, and the occasional sakura tree. There were squirrels bouncing from the limb of one tree to another, bunnies hopping here and there with their young, foxes showing up occasionally to guard the smaller mammals to their destination instead of eat them. Cardinals and Blue Jays were sharing trees for their nests and there were humming birds that helped the other bird species raise their young. All in all, it was an incredible sight to behold and Ichigo just couldn't take his eyes off of it.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Ichigo?"

Ichigo slowly averted his gaze from the scene and looked at Byakuya, who had turned his head to stare at the teen's bewildered expression. Ichigo nodded his head, looking to where he saw a mother duck helping her ducklings into a nearby pond.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied. "It's all absolutely breathtaking. I've never had the time to enjoy the scenery here in the Soul Society before because of all the wars that have been taking place, but now that I can actually see what the nature is like here, I can't help but be amazed. Everything is so peaceful and welcoming. It's definately not something I've come in contact with in years. It's nice."

"I must agree. I often get the chance to wander the gardens of Kuchiki manor, but I have rarely been given the opportunity to venture outside of the estate except when I have duties I must attend to. It is definately a breathtaking sight."

They continued on their way, both of them marveling at the new things that come their way. Ichigo felt right at home here in the Soul Society. He felt like he actually belonged and nobody was judging him. Ichigo sighed slightly in enjoyment and layed his head on Byakuya's shoulder and closed his eyes.

As he listened to the sounds of nature, his ears picked up on the faint sound of running water in the distance. As the sound grew gradually louder, Ichigo deducted that Arashi must be leading them towards the source of the sound. That thought made him smile and he held onto Byakuya just a little bit tighter.

Ichigo opened his eyes and lifted his head from Byakuya's shoulder when Arashi stopped moving. He sucked in a breath in surprise, perplexed at what he saw before him. They had stopped next to a river that was as clear as air itself. A rushing waterfall was upstream about a hundred feet, but it still misted him and Byakuya every so slightly. Trees were littered here and there with flowers lining the shores of the river. The setting sun around them gave the sky an orange and red tint, basking the area in a magnificent glow. Ichigo was absolutely without words at the amazing scene before him.

Ichigo slid off of Arashi and held out a hand for Byakuya to take. He noticed the noble's momentary surprise before Byakuya slid his hand into his. The teen helped Byakuya off of Arashi, who nudged them towards a blanket that sat next to the river. With their hands still clasped firmly together, Ichigo and Byakuya walked over to the blanket. Behind them, Arashi made a sound of delight before trotting into the shadows of the trees beside Tetsuya to give them some privacy.

Byakuya sat down and motioned for Ichigo to do the same by patting next to him. Ichigo smiled at Byakuya and happily complied, scooting as close to Byakuya as possible.

"You seem to enjoy all of this contact," Byakuya stated as Ichigo layed his head on his shoulder.

"Why wouldn't I?" Ichiho asked as the both of them looked through the trees to watch the sun set. He stayed quiet for a moment and listened to the rushing water before continuing.

"As reluctant as I was before about all of this, you would think I would still want nothing to do with this marriage. But as I was walking towards you as you stood at the altar this afternoon, I began to realize that I could make something out of this. I began to feel warm inside just thinking about you and I knew that I was falling for you, if I hadn't already. Now I just think about how stupid I was for even attempting to resist this marriage. After everything that has happened this week, good and bad, it made me realize that I had been missing something in my life. When I finally kissed you at the altar, I realized that it was you I was missing, but I had no idea if you had felt the same. You didn't seem to, but I think you do now after the consummation, don't you?"

"Indeed I do," Byakuya replied readily, laying his head on top of Ichigo's as the last of the sun's rays disappeared at the edge of the horizon. "You had reminded me of what I had long since forgotten decades ago when Hisana died. You brought me something more than I had ever hoped for or thought about, and you reignited the dormant feelings inside of me. You were able to find a way into my heart when no one other than Hisana had ever done before. You reminded me that Hisana would never wish for me to be incompetent and restrictive when it came to the decisions that I must make. That was the ultimate point in time that made me realize just how much your presence had invaded my heart. For that, I am grateful, Ichigo."

The stars began to appear in the night sky, twinkling and basking the area in a soft, white glow. Byakuya and Ichigo both layed down on the blanket, their backs flat on the ground. They both looked up at the sky for a few moments, enjoying the calm that surrounded them. Then, they both tilted their heads towards each other simultaneously, looking into each other's eyes. Ichigo noticed the twinkle in Byakuya's eyes and marveled in how they reminded him of the stars.

Without hesitation, Ichigo inched his face closer to Byakuya's and captured the older noble's soft lips in his own. Byakuya moved his lips against the teens slowly, then he felt Ichigo's kisses become a little more greedy. With a smirk, Byakuya moved to where he was hovering over Ichigo on all fours, removing his lips from Ichigo's and trailing kisses along the side of Ichigo's neck, causing soft moans to escape the young noble's lips.

* * *

"Come on, Arashi," Tetsuya whispered to the stallion as he began to lead them away from their current position. "Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama seem to be busy. We'll come and bring them back to the manor later."

'Are you sure you don't want to stay and watch?' Arashi teasingly asked, causing Tetsuya to blush furiously and send the stallion a flustered look.

"Arashi!" Tetsuya whisper shouted at the horse. "I wouldn't want to be impolite to my cousin. I'd never intrude on something as private as their love making."

Tetsuya sighed as Arashi snickered in his mind and began to follow him. "We will survey the surrounding area and make sure no one interrupts my cousin and Ichigo-sama."

Arashi nodded his head and followed Tetsuya's lead, creating a waterform and continuing around the perimeter of the area to keep unwanted attention out.

* * *

"Ichigo-kun!" a green headed male called out as he walked through the halls of Kuchiki manor. "Why did you and Byakuya-kun suddenly disappear from the party? It continued and ended without either of you. I hope you two haven't been doing anything naughty!"

"Keep your voice down, Takuma," a female stated behind him, causing him to turn around. "Everyone else in the manor is asleep and nii-sama and Ichigo have yet to return."

"Good evening, Rukia-kun," Takuma greeted the shinigami noble with a smile. "They haven't returned? Where did they run off to?"

"Tetsuya had a present for them and they haven't been in the manor grounds since they left the party this afternoon. I don't know exactly what the present Tetsuya gave them was, but I think I have an idea."

"Would you mind telling me, Rukia-kun?" Takuma pleaded, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulder. Rukia shook her head, shrugging the arm off of her shoulder.

"If it's what I think it is, then I have no right telling someone where they are. They should enjoy that time alone without being bothered."

"It's not like I'm going to go bother them!" Takuma pouted, practically begging.

"I'm sorry, but you begging isn't going to change my mind," Rukia stated, making her way towards he room.

"You're no fun Rukia-kun!" Takuma whined, sighing when she didn't reply.

He turned and walked out of the manor. He looked up at the sky, noticing the twinkling of stars above him. The balls of light caused a sad expression to form on his face as they caused a picture of his deceased love to form in his mind, distracting him from his cousin's whereabouts.

"Aidou..."


	8. Pain of the Past

Byakuya awoke in his bed, the feeling of another pressed against him and wrapped around his body. He could feel the other person behind him planting light kisses on his neck and shoulder, causing him to sigh in content. He snuggled closer to the male, turning around to where he faced his other half.

Amber brown eyes met his and he noticed that the other male had only just woken because his eyelids were still drooping. Byakuya smiled at the other man, bringing his hand up to caress the face of his beloved. The other male sighed, leaning into Byakuya's gentle touch.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning, Ichigo," Byakuya replied, bringing their lips together in greeting. "Would you like for me to call for a morning meal?"

"That would be great!" Ichigo replied, smiling as Byakuya stood from the bed.

"I will return shortly," Byakuya stated, wrapping a robe around his body. "You may stay here and wait for my return."

"Like I'll be going anywnere anytime soon," Ichigo chuckled, causing Byakuya to shake his head, but smile nonetheless.

Byakuya exited the room, sliding the door shut behind him. He walked down the corridors of Kuchiki manor, listening as it's residents began to stir from their sleep. It was the normal sounds of a new day, save for the newly welcomed reitsu that has found home here at the manor. At the thought of that, Byakuya smiled slightly to himself and walked with a little more purpose to the kitchens.

When he finally reached the kitchen, he was greeted with his cook, Lyana, preparing to make breakfast. The slightly rounded woman looked up when Byakuya entered the kitchen, surprise clear in her features. She immediately bowed towards him and adressed him.

"Good morning, Kuchiki-sama. I was not expecting your visit this morning. Is there anything I can help you with?" Lyana asked, standing straight again.

"I came to see if the morning meal had been prepared yet," Byakuya replied, stepping farther into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, Kuchiki-sama!" Lyana called out, rushing to get pans on the stove. "I wasn't expecting you to have awakened this early."

"It is quite fine," Byakuya assured. "In fact, I am pleased that you have not started the morning meal. I was wondering if I would be able to help you prepare it?" He asked, confusing the cook as well as shocking her.

"B-But Kuchiki-sama! You don't have to! I am capable of doing this myself! I really don't need the help!"

"I would like to," Byakuya repeated, stepping over to the stove. "Think of it not as me helping you, but as you helping me prepare something for my husband."

"A-Are you sure?" Lyana asked, stepping to grab some ingredients from the cupboard.

"I am quite sure," Byakuya replied, nodding his head. "So tell me what it is that I must do." Lyana smiled at Byakuya and began speaking, guiding him through the kitchen as they prepared the morning meal.

Within a half an hour, a whole feast had been prepared. The scents of deviled eggs, honey roasted ham, a fresh bowl of fruit salad, sausage, and bacon wafted from the kitchen, attracting a young male who had just finished his morning rounds with the Kuchiki guards.

"It smells nice in here," Tetsuya greeted, walking into the kitchen and sniffing the air in delight.

"Good morning, Tetsuya," Byakuya greeted, washing his hands in the kitchen sink and drying them off by a nearby towel. "It's surprising that you are here and not watching with your waterforms nearby."

"Good morning, Byakuya-sama. I just thought that today I'd like to see what you're doing in the kitchens," Tetsuya greeted with a smile. He took in his cousin's apparel and furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you wish to change from your night clothing, cousin?"

Byakuya looked over at Tetsuya in confusion before looking at himself and realizing that he was still wearing his robe. He bit his lip and shook his head at his cousin's request, moving to place the food on a nearby tray.

"That is alright, watashi no itoko. But I would not mind if you helped Lyana and I move the food to the tray and to take it back to my quarters for Ichigo."

"I wouldn't mind helping you at all," Tetsuya replied, smiling as he moved forward to help set the tray.

As they were getting everything ready, the sudden fluctuations of Ichigo's spiritual pressure caused them to stop everything that they were doing. Byakuya ended up dropping the salad bowl, the glass shattering all over the floor. He was the first one out of the room, flash stepping as fast as he could towards the bedroom. He could faintly sense others following behind him, but his heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he could barely contemplate anything but his fear for what might be happening to Ichigo.

'He was perfectly fine when we woke,' Byakuya thought as he neared his destination. 'Nothing was wrong. He was just being himself and I told him to wait in the room for his meal. Does that mean someone had infiltrated the security of the manor? Impossible! Tetsuya would have been one of the first to notice the disturbance. Then what could have hapoened? His spiritual pressure feels distressed, pained. What could possibly be wrong with Ichigo?'

When he reached the bedroom, he didn't notice Ichigo anywhere. The sheets on the bed were disheveled and halfway on the floor. He looked around, but the orange haired teen was nowhere in sight. His eyes landed on the open bathroom door and he raced over to it. The sound of hurling reached his ears before he could see exactly what was wrong. But when he looked inside the bathroom, fear gripped at his heart and his eyes widened.

Ichigo sat in front of the toilet, one of his arms wrapped around his stomach and the other holding the edge of the toilet. He was throwing up, but it wasn't any sort of regular throw up. It was blood. The thick, dark red colored liquid passed through Ichigo's lips constantly. Not only that, but it looks like something else was exiting his boy as well, but Byakuya was unable to identify what is was. A pained look crossed over Ichigo's facial features in between the times he threw up, causing Byakuya to rush next to him.

He knelt down next to his lover, rubbing his hand on the boy's back to try and soothe him. Byakuya caught Ichigo looking over to him for a moment before he went to throwing up again. Byakuya looked over towards Tetsuya, who was waiting worriedly by the bathroom door.

"Tetsuya, call for captain Unohana and tell her to try to get here as quickly as possible. After that, help get the bathing chamber ready. I have to find out what is wrong with Ichigo," Byakuya demanded. The last sentance was more to himself than anything, but Tetsuya heard it and was on his way to do what Byakuya had requested of him.

Ichigo was jerking under Byakuya's hand, disposing the contents of blood that was supposed to stay inside of his body. The metalic scent was tainting the air around them and Ichigo just kept by the toilet. Byakuya's heart clenched in his chest at the horrible, pain filled sounds that escaped Ichigo as he threw up.

'He can't die,' Byakuya though, desperately wishing for Ichigo to stop throwing up as images of what this could mean popped into his mind. 'I will not lose him too! Not like I lost Hisana. I could not bear the feeling of a broken heart again. I will try, with everything that I have, to make sure that I do not lose him.'

Takuma had arrived not too long ago to see the unfortunate scene in front of him. Seeing his cousin this way was not something he thought he'd ever witness. His cousin had defeated Aizen and Yhwach, so he never expected to see this moment of weakess in his cousin. He doesn't understand how his cousin came to be this way, and to see Ichigo throwing up blood and whatever else was definately not something he was expecting.

His gaze traveled over to Byakuya and he felt a familiar pang in his heart at the tortured expression the man was wearing. The inner turmoil that he saw in the man's eyes was something he could never forget. Even the slight shaking of Byakuya's hand as he tried to comfort Ichigo was familiar. So painfully familiar.

Takuma brough a hand to his chest, looking away from the scene in front of him. He felt as if his heart was being torn apart with the claws of a wolf, and he didn't like the feeling at all. That look Byakuya had said it all. It explained how he was afraid of losing his love again, afraid of what could all happen, afraid of what could come after if it does happen.

It was so familiar to him because he had felt it all before. But it wasn't under the same circumstances. The events that took place leading up to what might happen were different, but he could never forget the fear he felt. He could never forget how he nearly lost himself.

* * *

*Flashback*

'The half noble stood in Rukongai, smiling as he walked down the dirt streets. He hummed to himself and padded forward, having a specific destination in mind. The wind blew his green hair away from his eyes, also causing his glasses to slip from his nose. He readjusted them and looked around, spotting the candy vendor and walking over to it.

"Well if it isn't my favorite customer!" The young vendor said, smiling as the man walked closer to his stall.

"Hello again, Koorishima-kun!" The male stated once he reached the stall. The vendor smiled at at man and shook his head playfully.

"Please, Takuma-san, call me Aidou! It's only fair since you asked me to call you Takuma and your my most valuable customer."

"Whatever you like, Aidou-kun," Takuma replied, chuckling slightly as he began to look at the assortment of candies in front of him. His mouth watered at the thought of eating most of the candy and he went to choosing which ones he wanted to buy from Aidou.

"You li'l street rat! Get back 'ere with them apples or I'll kill ye!"

Takuma looked up from his selections and turned around, his eyes widening in surprise as a kid nearly made him fall down. An older man came running after the the little boy, tipping Takuma's balance and causing him to fall to the ground. Dirt came up around him, causing him to cough and look down at his dirtied kimono in his dismay.

'Mom's going to kill me!' Takuma thought to himself before looking back up at the scene in front of him.

"Ow, ow, ow! Stop it! Ow!" The little boy shouted from the ground, covering his head with his hands as he curled up into a ball.

The man chasing the boy had the bag of apples in one hand and a stick in the other, beating the little boy with the stick. The man's actions caused a crowd to gather around the area, watching what was happening to the little boy in the center.

Takuma looked around, surprised that nobody was doing anything to stop what was happening. All they did was watch, but nobody bothered to step in. He himself was about to step in when another shout broke through the crowd.

"Hey! You have no right to be beating a little kid like that!"

The young Shiba turned his head and watched as Aidou moved from behind his stall and into the middle of the crowd, his long blonde hair flowing behind him as he moved. Aidou ran in front of the little boy, standing defensively as the man with the stick glared at him.

"Outta the way, candy man!" The angry stall owner shouted. "This boy's mine an' if yer try ta stop me, yer gonna get yer skull bashed in like a hammer to a nail!"

"Do what you like to me," Aidou stated, his voice never wavering as his green eyes shined with determination, "but I won't let you lay a hand on a little kid."

"Tha' bastard stole my apples!" The stall owner shouted, rearing his stick back. "If you think I be lettin' some rat like 'im go after tha', yer dead wrong!"

The stall owner was about to let the stick come down on Aidou when a strong hand gripped his wrist and stopped him from moving an inch. He tried to continue with his strike, but the hand on his wrist tightened and he soon found that he could no longer keep a grip on his weapon.

The stick clattered on the ground and the assailant proceeded to try and take his arm away from the grip it was in. He stared fearfully at the calm face of the green haired male and started shaking when a deadly, closed eyed smile was sent towards him.

"Now, there's no need to go beating up on a little kid, especially not the man who tried to protect him. It would be wise for you to not do that in my precense again," Takuma declared to the man he held, loud enough for all to hear.

The stall owner scowled and glared at Takuma, spitting in Takuma's face. Takuma just wiped the spit away calmly, staring at the man as the stall owner's anger grew.

"Who the 'ell do ye think ye are?! Ye can' just go 'round actin' all high and mi'ty. Yer in Rukongai, an' yer nothin' more than a piece of Rukongai trash."

Takuma raised an eyebrow at the man's words and he losened his grip to allow the bloodflow in his prisoner's body.

"Oh, really?" Takuma asked, his eyes leveling dangerously on the stall owners. "Then tell me how I was able to obtain this kimono that the scene you caused ruined."

"It' simple," the stall owner started, "ye stole it from some're in the upper districts."

"You're wrong," Takuma stated, removing his grip from the man's wrist to the man's upper arm. "Now answer something for me: do you know who I am?"

"I alr'dy told ye; yer just Rukongai trash."

"Wrong again," Takuma replied, removing his grip completely from the other man.

The stall owner didn't move, determined to stand his ground. Takuma was glad the stall owner didn't move, or else he would have had to restrain the man. When he noticed that he still had the stall owner's attention, he continued.

"I don't even live in Rukongai. I live in the Seireitei."

"So, what?" The stall owner asked. "Ye just a soul reaper with no pow'r strong enough to make a difference?"

"I'm no soul reaper,but I've trained like I am one and I do have a zanpakuto," Takuma stated, catching everyone surrounding them off guard.

"If he's not an official soul reaper, then how does he live in the Seireitei?" Someone whispered nearby.

More whispers went through the crowd, but Takuma kept his eyes on the stall owner, who he saw widen his eyes in realization. Takuma continued to stare at the stall owner, who now took a few steps back in fear.

"I see you've realized just how much power I hold," Takuma stated, stepping closer to the assailant as the man backed farther away from him. "You must also have realized just how many crimes you've committed by talking disrespecfully, not following my advice, and spitting in my face."

The stall owner tried to back up even more, but the crowd had moved along with the two of them and he found himself backed up against the wall of a rundown home. He shook with fear as Takuma walked closer and closer to his position. The look that the noble gave him shook his very core and he felt like that stare alone could eat him alive.

"I have the power to press charges against you and you will be going through the noble council and punished for your crimes," Takuma implied, standing directly in front of the assailant and giving the man a reprimanding look. "I also have the power to keep all of what has happened here to myself. Today I'm feeling a little generous, so I will propose an offer; it's something that you can't refuse without consequences. As long as you promise to never try to harm anyone or anything and to let this little boy and a fellow stall owner go, I will allow you to walk free from this place. Though if you accept this and then break the rules of the offer, I will report you to the noble council of the Shiba clan. Our clan may seem lax, but the council is a pain in ass when trying to deal with them. Well, do you accept this offer, or do you decline?"

The stall owner was shaking so hard that he could hardly speak, so he quickly nodded his head at Takuma's request. Takuma backed away from the man and watched him run back to where his stall was. When the man was out of sight, Takuma sighed before smiling and turning back to the surrounding crowd.

The crowd was slowly dispersing, perplexed looks on their faces at the things that they just witnessed. When most everyone cleared, Takuma found Aidou helping the little boy up off of the ground. He walked over to them and smiled brighter when they turned to look at him.

"Takuma Shiba? I never would have guessed," Aidou chuckled.

"Nobody would be able to, with how I look," Takuma replied.

"Why did you save me?" The little boy asked them, causing them to look at him.

"Why wouldn't we?" Aidou asked him, bending down to look the boy in the eyes. "You were stuck in a bad situation and we wanted to help."

"But nobody's ever helped me before, especially not a noble," the boy stated, looking at Takuma wearily. Takuma just smiled at the boy.

"I'm not a noble with a stick up his ass," Takuma said, surprising the little boy with his choice of words. "Unlike them, I want to help out anyone who needs it. Plus, I'm not a full fledged noble, which might have something to do with my personality."

"Were you adopted, Shiba-sama?" The little boy asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Feel free to call me Takuma," Takuma replied, "and no, I wasn't adopted. My mother is a noble and my father was a man from Rukongai. Because of that, I've only got half noble blood running through me."

"That's amazing!" The little boy shouted, his eyes shining in wonder.

"You should take those apples and head home, little one," Aidou recommended, picking up the bag of apples and handing them to the young male. "I bet you have friends or family waiting for you. You wouldn't want to make them worry."

"You're right!" The boy exclaimed, quickly grabbing the bag of apples that was being handed to him. "Thank you so much for saving me!" He called out as he began running in the opposite direction.

"You're quite welcome!" Aidou called out, waving to the boy.

"You do great with kids," Takuma stated as he stepped beside Aidou, watching as the boy ran off into the distance.

Aidou turned to look at him, surprise flitting through his features. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, you have a natural talent for caring about children and becoming a fatherly figure."

Takuma turned his head to look at Aidou, and was surprised when he saw the blush that had formed on the man's cheeks. The blush on Aidou's cheeks made his own heat up as he thought about another one of the reasons he wanted to come to Rukongai. When Aidou turned to look at him, Takuma cast his gaze away, his blush deepening just a little bit.

"Um... Aidou-kun?" Takuma began, gripping his confidence before it ran away.

"W-What is it, Takuma-san?" Aidou asked.

"W-well, I was wondering if... if you... would like to, I don't know... b-become my l-lover?" Takuma stuttered out, looking everywhere but at Aidou.

"You want me too..." Aidou began, eyes wide as his cheeks reddened further.

Takuma nodded his head, glancing at Aidou for a second before moving his gaze elsewhere. He fidgeted with his hands in front of him, nervousness clear in his actions. He was afraid of Aidou's answer. He was going out on a limb here; especially since he had no idea the sexuality of the candy stall owner. Takuma squeezed is eyes shut and took a deep breath.

"I mean... you don't have to-"

"I'd love to."

Takuma looked at Aidou in surprise, happiness swelling up insise of him. When he saw the sincere and happy smile on Aidou's face, Takuma hugged the man, tears falling from his eyes. He felt Aidou wrap his arms around him and couldn't help but notice how warm and full his hugs were. It was as if their bodies fit each other perfectly, and Takuma felt like his decision to ask Aidou to become his lover was the right one.

Aidou was the first to pull away, and Takuma looked at him with a bright smile and a tear stained face. Aidou's thumbs ran over Takuma's cheeks, erasing the tears that had fallen from his new lover's eyes. Takuma grabbed his hand by his face, liking the feel of it along his cheek. He looked into Aidou's bright green eyes and smiled.

"I think it may be a little early to ask this, but would you like to meet my mother?" Takuma asked Aidou, who widened his eyes in surprise.

"Really? Would I even be allowed inside of the Seireitei?" Aidou asked, parting from Takuma and grabbing his hand.

"You'll be coming with me, so it won't be any problem. You'll have my permission, so the walls around the Seireitei won't fall or anything."

Aidou laughed and squeezed Takuma's hand, nodding his head.

"I don't see the harm in it," Aidou replied, causing Takuma's green eyes to light up in happiness.

"So you'll go?"

"Of course!" Aidou replied happily, tugging on Takuma's hand and starting their run towards the Seireitei.

Takuma began laughing at Aidou's enthusiasm as he was lead towards the Seireitei. Aidou's hair was long enough that it tickled at Takuma's face, allowing him to feel the softness of it. He could also tell that his scent was that of cherry blossoms and pomegranate, and he loved it. He was expecting the male to have a scent of candies, but he liked this much better. It seemed to fit the male and he smiled even wider.

"Hey, aren't I supposed to be the one leading you to the Seireitei?" Takuma called out, laughing lightly.

"Does it matter?" Aidou called out lightly, smiling back at Takuma.

"I guess it doesn't," Takuma replied. "But I'm leading you to Shiba manor when we get there!"

"That's only fair!"

...

"I now pronounce you husband and... husband!" Shiba Isshin announced happily to the couple.

Takuma and Aidou smiled brightly at each other and brought their lips together, sealing their marriage. Shouts of ther family surrounded them as they sealed it. They slowly parted lips and stared into each other's eyes nearly getting lost in the warmth they both radiated before the sound of the Shiba residents and, surprisingly, the Kuchiki residents brought their attention back towards the crowd.

"I never would have expected that you would be the one getting married before me," a male said, walking up to the newly wed couple as they stepped away from the alter.

"Don't be so down about it, Bya-kun!" Takuma stated happily. "I'm sure you and Hisana will tie the knot sooner or later. That woman really does love you Byakuya."

"Yes, but the Kuchiki council doesn't," Byakuya replied.

"Go and be reckless then!" Takuma shouted, pulling Aidou closer to him. "That's what I did and look where it got me."

"You must realize that unlike you, I do not have elders who are as lax as yours and I am not a half noble like you. They would never allow it."

"Come on, my dear friend!" Takuma began encouragingly. "I say you go for it! Propose to her now if you'd like, she's right over there waiting for you." Takuma pointed to the female in the crowd, sesrching for someone until ner eyes landed on Byakuya. She smiled brightly at Byakuya and waved, causing Byakuya to smile slightly towards her in surprise as well.

"Alright, I will do it since you insisted," Byakuya finally replied, walking away from the newly wed couple.

"Good luck Byakuya-san!" Aidou called out.

Byakuya turned his head back, nodding with a small smile before continuing towards Hisana.

...

"Takuma!"

"Aidou! Where are you!"

"Takuma, help me!" Aidou called out, fear and pain lacing his voice and a slight tremor was in his voice as he shouted for help.

The sound of a hollow roaring nearby caused Takuma to shunpo faster to the sound of Aidou's voice. The rain that fell around him was obscuring some of his vision, but he pushed himself to find Aidou. He didn't understand how a hollow was able to enter the Seireitei, and of all places, right at the Shiba manor. Now, with the building in near ruins and his uncles and mother nowhere to be seen, he was panicking.

Aidou's terrified screams reached his ears and Takuma felt tears well up in his eyes. As he neared the screams, he finally found the hollow and saw Aidou backed up against a corner with the hollow begining to close in on him. Takuma took notice of the blood on Aidou's face and his eyes widened. Aidou had tears streaming down his face as well and a horrified look was covering his normally cheerful features. As fast as he could, he ran forward and blocked the hollow from attacking Aidou.

"Takuma!" Aidou called out in both relief and fright as his husband blocked the hollow from attacking him.

"Aidou, run!" Takuma shouted as he sliced at the hollow.

Aidou could only sit there and stare as fear paralyzed his body. He watched as the hollow swatted Takuma away from him, causing the green haired male to fly back into one of the intact walls of the Shiba manor.

The hollow turned towards Aidou again, rushing towards him and howling loudly, stretching out a clawed hand.

Takuma removed himself from the rubble, looking at the hollow as it neared Aidou.

"Aidou! Move! Run away from there!" He shouted, but he was too late.

Takuma's eyes widened as he saw the hollow impale Aidou with one of it's claws, causing Aidou to cough up blood. The sight caused Takuma's blood to boil and he held his zanpakuto horizontally in front of him.

"Search and destroy: Sagi no Umi!" Takuma shouted, causing his blade to convert into a white color with a horse pin dangling off of a chain at the hilt. He shouted a battle cry and dove towards the hollow, slicing off one of its arms.

The hollow cried out, backing away from Aidou and moving to look at Takuma. The hollow cried out again, lunging at Takuma instead. Takuma bent his back slightly to evade the claw, then swiftly spun around and sliced off the only remaining claw that the hollow had. The hollow bellowed again, moving to escape through a garganta. Before it could though, Takuma unleased another attack.

"Tengoku no Piasa!"

Water flew from the tip of Sagi no Umi, gathering some extra from the rain that fell from the sky and surrounding the rogue hollow in a hollow dome of water. The hollow tried to leave the dome, but once it touched the water, it howled and started teetering, it's balance completely lost as if it were stuck in the ocean. It started falling, only to connect with the sphere of swirling water again. This time, the water began to slice through the hollow, gradually causing it to disipate until it was completely gone.

Takuma stood where he was, panting as he called back the powers of his zanpakuto. He took Sagi no Umi and placed her in his sheath, turning around swiftly at the sound of coughing. His eyes landed on Adiou and he was at his side in an instant, holding his husband's body close to him. Aidou looked up at him, his eyelids drooping as he tried to make out Takuma's face.

"Aidou! Aidou please! Stay with me now! Don't close your eyes on me, Aidou. You're going to make it through this. Please hang on!" Takuma stated frantically as he ripped a piece of his shihakusho and began to press it on Aidou's open stomach wound.

"It's alright Takuma," Aidou whispered, grabbing at Takuma's hand. Takuma looked into Aidou's bright green eyes and tears started to form in his and roll down his face.

"No! It's not alright!" Takuma cried and tried to heal Aidou's wound, but his emotions were interfering with his reitsu and he couldn't conjure the healing kidou. "I won't lose you here! I can't lose you now! I love you too much! Please stay with me!" Takuma cried, sobbing as he tried stop the bleeding.

"Please Takuma, it's no use anymore," Aidou whispered, bringing a bloodied finger up to Takuma's face, wiping his husband's tears. "Don't cry, Takuma, please. When you cry, it makes me want to cry," Aidou informed, his voice cracking near the end as tears formed in his own eyes.

"Please don't leave me," Takuma whispered, as he leant down closer to Aidou's face. "Stay by my side always. Please Aidou, we promised that we'd always stay by each other's side."

"I will always be with you Takuma, no matter what, right in here," Aidou faintly whispered, touching Takuma's chest right where his heart was. "I will never leave you, because a part of me lives in here. I've entrusted you with my heart, my love. And now I just ask of you to keep it safe inside of yours for the rest of eternity."

"Don't say that!" Takuma shouted as tears began to fall from his eyes again. "You aren't going to die. I won't let you!"

"I love you, Takuma," Aidou whispered before his eyes shut, a lone tear falling from one of them and his arm fell limply to his side.

"Aidou?" Takuma whispered, moving a shaking hand to brush some of Aidou's wet blonde hair away from his face. "Aidou?!" He called out a little louder, a frantic touch to his voice. He moved his head to listen for a heartbeat, and began to panic.

"Aidou! Aidou, no!" He shouted and began to press down on the area of Aidou's heart multiple times. "Please stay with me!" He called out, sobbing as tears fell down his face. He pinched Aidou's nose, connecting their mouths as he thried to blow air into Aidou's lungs. "No, no, no, no!" He cried, going back to trying to get his heart to beat again. "You can't leave me here!" He cried as he continued to try and revive his husband. Soon enough, the misery began to completely consume him and he could no longer move his arms like he wished to. His body felt heavy and his sobs were loud and he cried out in anger and pain. His screams of absolute pain and helplessness carried on until he could no longer use his voice. He held Aidou close and continued to sob and scream for him to come back to his side, to stay alive and be forever as one with him. But his attempt was futile and he wasn't able to gain a response from his husband.

"I'm so sorry," Takuma whispered hoarsely as he bent down and planted a kiss on Aidou's lips. A few of his tears fell from his eyes and onto Aidou's face, rolling down his lover's pale cheeks. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

*End of Flashback*

* * *

Takuma completely turned away from the scene, walking away as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. His chest was heaving from the memory and he had to leave the Kuchiki manor quickly or else he'd break down crying in front of everyone. If he did, then they would think it was because of what was happening to Ichigo; which in part it was, but it was mainly because of the painful memory that the scene had caused to resurface with enhanced emotions that came with it.

When he exited the manor, he immediately began to shunpo towards the Shiba manor that was still in rubble since the attack that day many decades ago. Here, he was able to let it all go; first by letting a few tears fall from his eyes and then falling to his knees before sobbing. His emotions broke through his normally cheerful mask and he allowed it all to be released here.

"I'm so sorry, Aidou," Takuma whispered through his sobs as he clenched his heart. "I've been carrying your heart with me since that day, but you should still be with me. I wasn't strong enough to protect you and it was because of me that you died."

He moved his head to face the sky and tried to stop his tears from falling.

"What do I do, Aidou?" He whispered into the wind. "Do you know what's wrong with our cousin? Please Aidou, show me what I have to do. I know how painful loss is and I know Byakuya does too, but I can't see him like that again. I dont want him too be down again, I don't want him to suffer as I did; as I still do. Please Aidou, guide me and show me how I must involve myself to keep our cousin alive. Please."

The only response he received was the wind blowing through his hair and carrying some of his tears away with it.


	9. Cataclysm

The arrival of captain Unohana brought order to the chaos around the manor. With one swift look around the manor grounds while she stood at the entrance, everyone looked at her and seemed to ease up a bit. Her presence brough assurance on everyone at the manor and somehow the chaos began to dim down to orderly carrying out orders.

Captain Unohana walked closer to the manor and was greeted by Tetsuya. He gained a relieved look when he noticed her presence arrive at the manor. He bowed and quickly led her towards the bedroom Byakuya and Ichigo share.

"Thank you for responding so quickly to the hell butterfly, captain Unohana," Tetsuya stated, relieved as they made it towards the bedroom.

"Why of course," she replied, keeping up with Tetsuya's urgent strides. "Your message sounded pretty urgent and judging by the chaos in the background of the message, I knew something horrible must have happened."

"It's definitely concerning," Tetsuya replied, leading her into the room. She followed swiftly behind him, walking directly to the bed her new patient resided on.

The first thing she noticed was how pale Ichigo was. He wasn't completely white like his hollow/zanpakuto counterpart, but he was a ghostly white. His eyes were squeezed shut and his mouth was open as he panted heavily. Sweat covered his face and Tamoya was dabbing a cool washcloth over his forehead. His body was shaking violently under the covers and Byakuya sat by his side, holding his hand tightly and staring at his lover in worry.

It took a moment for Byakuya to notice Unohana's presence, and when he did, he look directly at her. The hope that appeared in his eyes when he looked at her caused her to send a reassuring smile and move to the other side of the bed. She placed a hand on Ichigo's forehead first, sending waved of stabalizing reitsu into his body and then sent a wave of comforting reitsu. Ichigo's shaking dimmed incredibly and his erotic breathing calmed slightly. He slowly opened his eyes and stared up at Captain Unohana, who sent him a warm smile.

He was confused, by her presence and tried to sit up in the bed, but he was met with pain exploding across his body. He cried out for a moment, and put a hand on both his head and his stomach. Ringing claimed the inside of his ears and he faintly noticed a couple of people pushing him gently back to laying on the bed.

Ichigo's stomach began to churn uncomfortably and he groaned in response to it. Pain erupted once again inside of his stomach and he cried out hoarsely. Byakuya helped him sit up again swiftly and Tamoya brought a bin over to the sickly male just in time for Ichigo to throw up more blood and whatever else he had been throwing up.

He felt Byakuya lay a hand on his back, sending his own reitsu into Ichigo's back. Ichigo's episode only lasted a little longer, but his shaking and uneven breathing had returned. Tamoya removed the box from Ichigo's lap and grabbed a fresh washcloth, wiping the traces of blood from Ichigo's chin. Ichigo felt himself being slowly pushed back onto the bed and sighed in discomfort as his stomach tried to settle.

A hand was placed on his abdomen and he groaned at the contact. The hand didn't leave though, and he felt traces of reitsu flowing into his system once again. The many different reitsu inside of his body was slightly comforting and he allowed his eyes to close. Not long after that, his consciousness faded and he didn't notice anything that was happening.

Byakuya watched with worry as Ichigo's eyes shut and he fell back asleep. The hand he held never lost its grip on his and he brought it closer to his face, hoping that he never feels it go eyes traveled towards Captain Unohana, who had both of her hands over Ichigo's stomach, sending a soft green reitsu into his lover's body.

"What are you doing right now, Captain Unohana?" He asks.

"I'm weaving my reitsu around inside of Ichigo's body to find what's wrong with him. So far, I've sensed nothing wrong with his lungs or his stomach. Right now, I can tell you that Ichigo has a worryingly high fever that if not tended to could fry his brain and possibly burn his skin. I'm not sure where, but I know that somehwere inside of his body, he is bleeding internally and that's what's causing him to throw up blood."

She moved one of his hands towards his lower stomach and began sensing there. Her eyebrows furrowed and she immediately sent her other hand next to it. A worrying look appeared on her face and she looked up at Byakuya. He stared back expectantly and she began speaking.

"I was told over the hell butterfly that Ichigo was throwing up something other than blood, correct?" She asked him.

"Yes, he was," he replied. "It's very concerning. Have you found something?"

"Unfortunately, I have," Unohana answered. "I've detected that one of his kidneys has beed punctured in some way. This is the cause of his internal bleeding and the reason he is throwing up as he is. But it's not just that, I've also detected that a small fraction of one of his kidneys is missing. For some reason, the organ inside of his body is slowly breaking away, as if the signals in his brain are telling it that it no longer needs to be a part of him."

"Could he die from it being removed?" Byakuya asked, squeezing Ichigo's hand.

"No, the human body is able to survive with only the use of one kidney if necessary. But what's also troubling is the fact that the kidneys aren't the only things changing. I've found traces of Ichigo's intestines being shifted from their original position to near the spine and his diaphragm is moving a little farther down in his stomach."

"But there's no traces of those organs being pulverized?" Tetsuya asked from Byakuya's side.

"These organs are stable and they don't seem to have anything wrong with them except for their change in position. It doesn't quite make any sense to me and it's the first time that I've seen a case like this. But it almost seems as if his internal system is making room for something inside of him."

"Do you have any idea as to what could possibly be forming?" Byakuya asked, laying a hand on Ichigo's stomach as well.

"No, I can't say that I do," Unohana replied honestly.

"Well, I'll be able to give you that information as long as you have the decency to listen to me and get these house guards to unhand me," an eerie voice said from the doorway. The man turned to the people who had hold of his arms and glared at them. "Do you have even the slightest idea as to who you are handling? I am a captain of the Gotei Thirteen and I demand that you release me this instant you incompetent fools!"

"Captain Kurotsuchi," Unohana greeted, turning her head slightly to look at the twelfth division captain. "You say that you know what's going on here?"

"Of course I do!" He stated, rippng his arms from the grip of the house guards. When they tried to restrain him again, Byakuya held up his hand.

"Leave us," he ordered. The guards looked at Mayuri wearily before bowing and leaving the room, closing the door on their way out. Byakuya looked at Mayuri with a slight glare. "Explain what you've done this time, Kurotsuchi."

"My, my, what a demanding stuck up person you are Captain Kuchiki. And frankly, I don't see the need to have to explain any of this to you. It's my experiment and the only person that I would have to tell would be the head captain. Unfortunately for you, the man isn't here. What I'm here to do is to collect some data and then I'll be out of your hair."

"I could always report this to the head captain," Unohana stated, smiling at the scientist. "Or, you could tell us about what you are doing with Ichigo."

"Well, it seems that I have no choice in the matter," Mayuri grumbled, walking closer to Ichigo as he pulled out an empty syringe from his shihakusho. "I had specifically told Nemu to help me design an automated female hormone release tecnique. Once the serum was created, the problem I encountered was finding the right person to test the serum on. I would have asked for volunteers, but I didn't need too. I had heard about the marriage of Shiba Ichigo and Kuchiki Byakuya and thought that either of you would be the perfect specimen to test out this new product."

He drew a little blood from Ichigo's arm and flicked the syringe a little.

"You never got Ichigo's consent to become your experiment, Kurotsuchi Mayuri," Byakuya seethed, glaring at the man. "You have stepped out of line and onto thin ice."

"What exactly is your serum supposed to do?" Unohana asked, retracting her reitsu from Ichigo's body. "You stated before that it's used to release female hormones into ths body. But since Ichigo is clearly male, what was the point in using him for this experiment?"

"You really don't have a brain, do you?" Mayuri asked, glaring at Unohana. "It releases female hormones into the body of whoever it comes into contact with. Why would I use a female for this experiment when the female population already has female hormones? The thought of doing such a thing is utterly rediculous."

"What does releasing female hormones into my husband's body accomplish, Kurotsuchi?" Byakuya asks.

"Why I never injected the hormones into your husband's body," Mayuri replied, placing the syringe back inside of his shihakusho. "I mixed the serum into a bottle of lotion that I had gotten from the human world and it entered his blood stream by seeping through the cells into his skin."

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why Ichigo's internal organs are all being misplaced and lost," Unohana replied, giving him an expectant look.

"That's quite simple, really," Mayuri provided. "The female hormones also act as a trigger for possible reproduction of the male body. But since the male body doesn't carry a uterus and it has no room to add any extra organs into the body, the only way to make room is to rearrange the organs and get rid of the one kidney that is most likely to cause problems in the future. Thus creating a space inside of the male body to grow an infant for a still undetermined amount of time."

"So what you are saying is that you're causing Ichigo to grow an extra organ in his body that he doesn't even need?" Byakuya asked, his glare hardening as he stared at Mayuri.

"An interesting notion, but no," Mayuri replied. "What is forming inside of Ichigo is not a uterus, but what you would call a spirit chamber. It should effectively allow for a new, unique reitsu to form inside of the body, creating a new soul to enter the Soul Society."

"By what you have told us, the forming of this spirit chamber isn't going to be stable, is it?" Unohana asked, searching once again with her reitsu to find traces of a forming spirit chamber.

"Since it is the first one to be created, then there will be some unstability in it. Of course, after a few tests are ran and the boy effectively carries a child to birth, it will provide all of the male population with a chance to reproduct with the same gender."

"I still can not overlook the fact that you're using my husband as an experiment for something that even you don't know much about," Byakuya seethed, trying his hardest to not let his reitsu go out of control in the room. "Your regular experiments that you know the outcome of in advamce are a danger to most of Soul Society. You treading on unknown ground could cause a catastrophic situation harsher than anything Yhwach could have possibly caused."

"I will take that as a compliment on my exquisite scientific ability," Mayuri grumbled, glancing over at Byakuya before sighing. "Well, I must be off. I have to examin this blood sample that I've gotten and then continue to monitor the process of the formation of the spirit chamber."

Mayuri turned and walked out of the room, leaving an angry Byakuya and concerned Unohana behind. Tamoya stepped closer to Ichigo, placing a hand on his master's shoulder and looking down at him in worry.

"Is there any way that we can avoid catastrophe, captain Unohana?" Tamoya asked.

"I do not know," Unohana replied honestly, still searching through Ichigo's abdomen for any trace of the spirit chamber. "I don't have much information on this spirit chamber, but I know that just the formation of it is quite dangerous if it takes this much of a toll on the body."

Tetsuya stood back, looking down at the ground, unsure of what to do. He fiddled with his hands and bit his lip. Byakuya took notice of the nervous actions of his cousin and turned to him.

"Is something wrong, watashi no itoko?" He asked, causing Tetsuya to look up at him and stepped forward a little.

"Well, I think I can give you a little more information about the spirit chamber," Tetsuya finally replied.

"You know of this?" Tamoya asked, his eyes widening. Tetsuya nodded.

"It was one of the experiments that was performed in Itamigiri. A few of the prisoners were chosen to be subjects to test it out."

"Yes, but how do you know of this?" Unohana asked, lifting her hands from Ichigo's abdomen. "Most of the information on the experiments were stolen before we could recover them and the rest of the survivors never mentioned an experiment like this before."

"Well, that's because this experiment was secret from even most of the staff at the prison. That, and everyone who undergone the process of it died while the chamber formed," Tetsuya replied. "All except for one, that is."

"One?" Byakuya asked, standing from his seat and slowly letting go of Ichigo's hand. "Who was the survivor?"

Tetsuya was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and staring at Byakuya with slightly wavering eyes. "Me. I was the only survivor. And I might be able to help keep Ichigo-sama safe through the experiment."


	10. A New Mist Covers the World

**Hello everyone! It wasn't my plan to update this again today, but I decided I had some announcements to make. First off, Happy 4th of July everyone! Hoping you're all enjoying yourselves and lighting fireworks with your families. Also, I have one more announcement.**

 **Bleach manga is coming to an end.**

 **DUN DUN DUUUUUN! I know, right? After all of what's happened so far, it was finally announced that the next volume of Bleach will be the last. It's kind of disappointing because there is so much more that needs to be done and explained, but Kubo's ending it in five or six chapters! He's probably being rush. No, after keeping up with the manga forever, I know he's rushing through this. I only hope that if he's going to end it like I think he will, there will be a follow up series. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Are you sure you will be able to help him, watishi no itoko?" Byakuya asked, standing and moving closer to his cousin.

"I'm positive that if Ichigo-sama does as instructed, then he will survive the formation of the reitsu chamber and the chamber itself will be stable throughout gestation," Tetsuya assured, sending his cousin a small smile.

Byakuya embraced his cousin, surprising Tetsuya with the show of affection. Tetsuya could feel the relief radiating off of the clan leader and smiled, returning the embrace and holding on to his cousin tightly.

"Arigato, Tetsuya," Byakuya whispered, pulling away and staring sincerely into his cousin's eyes.

"You aren't upset with me?" Tetsuya asked, letting out a breath and glancing over to where Tamoya was running a cold wash cloth over Ichigo's panting form.

"Why would I be upset with you, Tetsuya?" Byakuya questioned, following his younger cousin's gaze and watched as Unohana injected something into Ichigo's veins and trying to bring Ichigo's fever down.

"I didn't tell you about my condition, " Tetsuya replied, glancing back at Byakuya. "I've been meaning to tell you, but I didn't know how to bring it up. There was never a need to and I thought you might have been angry at me withholding this from you."

"You've got it wrong, watashi no itoko," Byakuya states, placing a hand on his cousin's shoulder and staring into Tetsuya's deep blue eyes. "I wouldn't have been upset with you. I would never have pressed the matter out of you because I know of the painful memories that would have come to mind. I understand that you would have been able to tell me everything, but it would have taken some time. So no, I am not upset at you. I'm more relieved than anything knowing that you told me and that even though what you went through was horrible, your're experience is going to be able to save Ichigo."

"Thank you, cousin," Tetsuya whisperes, hugging Byakuya again before walking and standing next to Unohana.

"How is he?" Byakuya asks, going to the other side of the bed and staring down at the pale form of his husband.

"His fever has gone down considerably, so there is no risk of his brain being in any physical danger," Unohana informed them. "I suspect he is going to be resting for a while, so don't worry if he doesn't wake soon. I would like to have weekly checkups on his condition to keep him stable throughout gestation. Also, I'd like to ask you, Tetsuya, if you'd like to come with me to the squad four barracks for examination and a few questions so I can properly monitor the formation to the spirit chamber."

Tetsuya hesitated, biting his lip before nodding in reply. "I will go with you, Unohana-san."

"You don't have to, Tetsuya," Byakuya implied after noticing his cousin's hesitation. He stared worriedly as Tetsuya just gave him a smile and fell in step behind Unohana.

"Do not worry, Byakuya-sama," he assured. "I will be fine with Unohana-san and I'll be home in no time."

"Only if you're sure?" Byakuya presses, gaining a nod from his cousin. "Alright, but be sure to bring Arashi with you."

Tetsuya nodded in affirmation and following Unohana out of the room, leaving Byakuya with Tamoya and Ichigo.

Byakuya returned to Ichigo's side, sighing while bringing his spouse's hand to his face and closing his eyes. He took a breath of relief, sliding his cheek along the surface of it. He reopened his eyes and stared at Ichigo's deathly pale form as Tamoya decided it was time to take his, leave. When Tamoya was no longer in the room, Byakuya moved his free hand up to Ichigo's face and lightly traced his fingers over the boy's cheek, trailing them over the boys lips before settling in his slightly elongated hair.

"Everything will be alright," Byakuya whispered to the boy, knowing that Ichigo could hear his soothing words. "You're going to make it out of this in top condition, and I will be by your side the entire time."

* * *

Ichigo cracked open his eyes, allowung them to adjust so he could get a good look at his surroundings. He noticed that he was laying on the side of a skyscraper and took a deep breath. Slowly, he lifted himself up to a standing position, wincing at the pain he encountered from the movement. After standing still for a few seconds to let the pain dull, he looked to the side where he sensed the spirits of his soul.

"Hey king, long time no see."

"Zangetsu," Ichigo greeted his zanpakuto spirit before turning and giving his quincy spirit a nod in recognition

"What, that's it?" Zangetsu asked. "No, 'what am I doing here in my inner world?'"

"Well, if you guys brought me here, then it must be important," Ichigo replied, wincing as a stabbing pain erupted in his abdomen again.

"It is quite important, and I suggest that you don't do much moving around to cease further damage to your soul," Old Man Zangetsu inquired, stepping closer to the boy and making him sit back down on the building.

"You won't see me arguing," Ichigo stated, readily sitting back down in a position that wasn't painful for him. "So what is it that we need to talk about?"

"Well, firstly is the fact that you're so loud out there with Kuchiki that we can here it in-"

"That can be saved for a later date," the quincy spirit cut off, glaring at Zangetsu before turning to look off in the distance. "Ichigo, I want you to look over there and tell me what you see," Old Man Zangetsu asked, nodding in the direction that he was facing.

Ichigo complied, turning his head so he had a view of a passageway between the skyscrapers of his inner world. Off in the distance, a black mist seemed to engulf everything around it, causing the buildings within to begin to slowly break down. Some of the buildings that Ichigo could see inside of the mist were begining to crumble. If he listened close enough, he could hear the breaking of glass and the creaking of the framework from within. When he looked closely, he could see the mist slowly expanding. Barely by much, but still expanding.

"It's some sort of mist that's destroying my inner world," Ichigo finally replied, his eyes widening as he glanced back and forth between the spirits next to him. "What does this mean?"

"A shadow has been cast over your inner world, Ichigo. It is slowly destroying the barriers of your mind and its sudden appearance is threatening. Zangetsu and I have tried to come into contact with it and discover its properties to get rid of it, but it only caused our bodies harm."

"Yeah, it hurt like a bitch," Zangetsu commented, wincing at the memory. "I can still feel the after effects of it."

"So if we don't know what it is and we can't get close to it, then what are we supposed to do?" Ichigo asked, looking back at the darkness that invaded his inner world.

"I say we continue to attack it until the problem goes away," Zangetsu proposed. "That stuff needs to go. I'm still not happy at what it did to my body earlier."

"That would be unwise," the quincy spirit countered, sending a disapproving look towards his companion. "It seems to grow with everything it breaks down and adding reitsu to it would only worsen the problem at hand. We have to determine what it is first before we can go and try destroying it."

"Could it be possible that this stuff in my inner world is what's affecting me and causing me to throw my guts up out there?" Ichigo asked. The old man shook his head.

"I do not think so, but it may be possible," he supplied. "I wouldn't know for sure, but I do know that your condition has been figured out by the people around you and you are getting help."

"So you know what's wrong with my physical body?" Ichigo asked, hoping for an answer.

"Maybe you should let your queen answer that question for you, king," Zangetsu answered, smirking as Ichigo scowled at him. "It is his responsibility. After all, it's because-"

"That is enough for now, Zangetsu," the quincy spirit intervened, glaring at the zanpakuto spirit.

"Why are you guys being so secretive? You're me for crying out loud, so I deserve to know!" Ichigo shouted in frustration.

"And you will when you awaken," Old Man Zangetsu supplied.

"When will that be?" Ichigo asked, crossing his arms.

"Not for a while."

"Great," Ichigo replied disdainfully, sighing in irritation before wincing as pain attacked his abdomen once again.

* * *

"Nii-sama!" Rukia called out, walking towards the room where she felt her brother's reitsu."Have you seen Ichigo anywhere? He was supposed to meet me at the central Senkaimon an hour ago for our visit to the living world today. His dad's going to be mad that we're late to have dinner with the family."

She slid the shoji door open when she reached her destination, reeling back in shock at what it revealed. She saw her brother next to Ichigo, holding his hand with the saddest look she has ever seen on his face. The clan healer, Michio, was next to the bed and fiddling with a monitor she's only seen in the livng world before. Bags with clear liquid hung from racks and the liquid dripped into a tube and through the needles injected in Ichigo's pale skin. A mask was placed over Ichigo's nose and mouth, sending oxygen directly his way and helping to ease his short breathing.

"Nii-sama?" Rukia breathed out, barely above a whisper as she stepped into the room. Her brother slowly looked up at her and her breath hitched as the full force of the man's sadness was expressed to her through his eyes.

'I never thought I'd see so much emotion from him,' Rukia thought sadly. 'So much of a negative emotion as well.'

"Rukia," Byakuya greeted, albeit softly as his sister walked closer to where he sat.

She sat in the chair next to his and noting that it was warm, meaning someone was here to see Ichigo recently. Her eyes swept over Ichigo's form once again, her gaze casting downward after noticing how horrible of a state he was in.

"What happened?" Rukia finally asks, biting her lip and turning her gaze to her brother.

"Ichigo's health has been dropping since this morning," Byakuya answered vaguely. "We're trying everything we can to keep him stable."

"Why is it dropping?" Rukia asked, a pained look flashing over her features. "He was perfectly fine yesterday. Happy even since it was your wedding day."

"I'm partially to blame," Byakuya implied, casting his gaze downward and taking a steadying breath. Rukia layed a hand on her brother's shoulder in comfort.

"How are you to blame?" She asks.

"I allowed a product from the Research and Development Department into my home and in contact with Ichigo."

"Did you know yhat it was from the twelfth division barracks?" Rukia asks. When Byakuya shook his head, Rukia sighed. "Then it isn't your fault. I'm sure that whatever is happening to Ichigo will pass over because we both know he's going to fight through this. I don't know what his condition is or what's wrong, exactly, but you know him enough to know he'll make it, right? It shouldn't be too much longer." She assured him.

"That's where you're wrong," Byakuya replied, glancing back up at Ichigo's form and sighing in discontent.

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "What am I wrong about?"

"Ichigo could be like this for weeks, possibly even months because of my actions. Had we just been given more time, this might not have happened and precautions could have been taken to assure that."

"I still don't understand, Nii-sama," Rukia inquired. "How do you know it will take that long and how can you be certain that because of your actions Ichigo's laying in a bed hooked up to machines?"

Byakuya sighed, taking a deep breath before standing from the chair he sat in. He bent down above his husband's sleeping form, trailing a hand over the boy's pale face before kissing the boy's forehead. Motioning for Rukia to follow him, he exited the room and walked through the long corridors of Kuchiki manor.

Rukia followed silently behind her brother, troubled by her brother's unusually tense silence. She was led to the Kuchiki gardens where Byakuya stopped next to the koi pond and stared into its depths. She glanced at him worriedly, noticing his distant look before returning to himself and speaking.

"Ichigo is with child," he spoke softly, barely above a whisper. In spite of it, Rukia was still able to hear the words that escaped from her brother's lips and was torn between what to say.

"C-Congratulations Nii-sama," she breathed out finally smiling at her brother's reflection in the pond. "But how? Ichigo is a man, not a woman."

"It's because of captain Kurotsuchi, I suppose," Byakuya replied. "It's because he chose Ichigo to be a test subject without consent that the boy is pregnant. Of course, for that to happen, I did have to take part in some form or another." A slight flush reached Byakuya's cheeks, but he quickly forced it away. "This morning he had been throwing up, but not like normal morning sickness. It was all blood. Not only that, but captain Unohana had confirmed that pieces of one of his kidneys is being flaked away, which is being dispelled from his body by means of throwing up."

Rukia gasped, wincing as if she could feel it hersslf and placing a hand on her stomach in dismay. "That's sound horrible and painful."

"We can only imagine," Byakuya breathed out, sighing once again before kneeling next to the pond. He raked his fingers over the surface, causing ripples over the water and distorting both of their reflections. "It is because of Tetsuya's cooperation to all of this that we are able to keep Ichigo stable until he regains consciousness."

"Tetsuya?" Rukia asked, confused at the mention of her cousin's name.

"Tetsuya has knowledge of what's happening to Ichigo and of the spirit chamber, as it is called, forming insise of Ichigo so it can carry the child's reitsu throughout gestation."

"But how does Tetsuya know of this?" Rukia questioned, watching as her brother stood from his position and began walking back to the manor. She scrambled from where she resided and quickly followed behind him.

"That is for him to tell you when he is ready to do so," Byakuya stated as they began walking back to the room where Ichigo was residing. "He is currently in the fourth division relaying what information he knows to captain Unohana so she can send what equipment we need to keep Ichigo stabalized throughout his period of gestation."

"But Ichigo will be alright?" Rukia asked, stopping right before entering the room.

"Do not concern yourself. Ichigo is fine for the moment," Byakuya replied, sitting back down at Ichigo's side and glancing back at her. "I'm guessing you should inform Kurosaki Isshin and Ichigo's sisters that Ichigo will be unable to attend the family dinner tonight."

Realization flashed through Rukia's eyes and she nodded at her brother. "You're probably right. But what should I tell them?"

"That Ichigo is taking care of some clan business that needs to be attended to immediately," Byakuya supplied. Rukia nodded in thanks before flash stepping away and leaving her brother alone with Ichigo.

Byakuya turned back to his husband, sighing for what felt like the millionth time and closing his eyes, grabbing Ichigo's hand in his.

'Do not let go Ichigo.' Byakuya thought, hoping his message was being conveyed to the boy. 'There are many people out here who love you. This procedure is extremely dangerous and Tetsuya was the only person to survive out of hundreds who went through the same thing. But you are strong and I have faith in you.

Just don't let go.

I will be right next to you the entire time.'


	11. Freightage

Tetsuya pulled the IV from his arm, sighing in relief of its absence. He looked at the small wound for a moment, watching as the blood began to run down his arm before Unohana taichou gently grabbed it and sealed it with healing kidou. He looked back up at her with a smile as she wiped the remaining blood away with a cloth.

"Thank you, Unohana taichou," Tetsuya stated warmly as he began to swing his legs over the bed.

"I should be the one thanking you, Tetsuya-san," Unohana replied with an equally warm smile. "Because of you, Ichigo has a chance to live through Kurotsuchi taichou's experiment."

"Yes, and I'm happy I'll be able to do something to help Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama through a tough time," he breathed out, making his way towards the door. "I must go and meet up with Byakuya-sama and see if Ichigo-sama has awakened yet. Thank you again, Unohana taichou."

As he reached for the door, Unohana's voice stopped him from opening the door.

"I just have one more question," Unohana stated, causing Tetsuya to turn towards her slightly, "and if answered a specific way, a few follow up ones."

"Alright, what is it?" Tetsuya asked, mentally preparing himself for another question that could be scary to answer, but vital to Ichigo's health.

"Have you ever carried a child within your reitsu chamber, Tetsuya-san?" Unohana asked in a sweet voice, walking closer to the body guard.

Tetsuya lowered his eyes, gently biting his lip as the memories returned to him. He kept his eyes lowered and the tears at bay as he nodded his head. After the action, he felt Unohana place a hand on his shoulder and give a comforting squeeze. He didn't look up, but listened to Unohana's next words.

"Based on your reaction, it seems that the child did not make it through the pregnancy. I know it is painful to think about, but can you tell me how the child was lost, Tetsuya-san?"

Tetsuya stood there quietly for a moment, recollecting the memories of the day he was freed from Itamigiri. He looked back up at Unohana taichou and began to tell her.

"I lost my child only moments before Byakuya-sama and his men arrived at the prison..."

FLASHBACK

"Naoki?" Tetsuya called out, struggling underneath the bonds he was underneath. He layed upon a cold table, strapped to it from his wrists, just above his slightly enlarged torso, and ankles tightly with a tough cloth. "Naoki!"

"Calm down, Tetsuya," Naoki said from the table right next to his. "Distress will only harm our baby."

"Don't you get it, Naoki?" Tetsuya cried, tears leaking down his face. "That's why we're here! They know I am with child, Naoki! They're going to take our child from me and they brought you here to watch!"

Tetsuya began to struggle underneath the bonds again, the fabric digging into his skin and drawing blood.

"You must stop, Tetsuya! You're only hurting yourself!" Naoki cried.

"We have to get out of here, Naoki!" Tetsuya called to him. "Before they come back and kill what is precious to to us. We have to escape!"

"Byakuya-sama should be here soon," Naoki reasoned. "Remember the rumors, Tetsuya? If what they say is true, he will be here today to free us all."

"Rumors are rumors, Naoki," Tetsuya stated, trying to loosen the bonds on him. "And even if they are true, then Byakuya-sama won't be able to reach us fast enough! We're in the heart of this prison right now, and they could have our child dead before Byakuya-sama reaches us."

"Please calm down, Tetsuya!" Naoki pleaded. "If not for me, then to stop being so loud! If you keep screaming, we both now what that Orochi will do to us, and he won't go easy since he never has."

Tetsuya gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down. The pounding of his heart slowed and a much calmer look replaced his features. Even then, he continued to tug at the bindings, sighing as he felt them loosening slightly.

"I've almost got it, Naoki," Tetsuya breathed in relief as he began to slide his bloody hands slowly through the tight bonds. "When I get out of these, I'm going to untie you and we'll make a break for it."

When he got his hands out of the bindings, he quickly untied the strap above his abdomen and sat up. He untied the bonds at his ankles and let out a laugh of victory. He slid off of the table, a slight dizzyness taking over. He shook his head, dashing at Naoki's bonds and quickly untieing him.

Naoki quickly stood, bringing his lover in for a passionate kiss before grabbing Tetsuya by the hand. "Come, we must hurry if we want to evade the guards all the way to the exit."

Tetsuya nodded, taking off and keeping stride with Naoki as the two of them dashed out of the room and into the hallways. They were surprisingly empty, but the both of them knew that they wouldn't be once they found the two of them had left the examination room.

As they continued running through the dark halls, the path was suddenly lit with red flashing lights and a loud siren plundered their ears. Shouts were heard around the two of them and they moved faster in hopes of evading as many guards as possible.

"... about to breach the prison!"

"Shut it down!"

"Leave no half-blood alive!"

The last demanding voice sent shivers down Tetsuya's spine and caused him to grip Naoki's hand tighter.

"Those damned half-bloods in the examination room are gone!" Orochi called out angrily from behind them. "Bring me the pregnant one! But kill the other, now!"

"Orochi," Tetsuya began, shuddering, "he's coming."

"I know, but we must keep moving!" Naoki encouraged, pulling Tetsuya down a side hallway.

Soon, the whole interior of the prison began to jostle as loud explosions erupted around them. Momentarily, both Tetsuya and Naoki lost their balance and cried out, falling to the rumbling floor. Naoki quickly stood, helping Tetsuya from the ground.

"Are you alright, Tetsuya?" Naoki asked, scanning his lover over.

"I-I'm fine!" Tetsuya replied, not noticing the dribble of blood going down his head. "We have to keep moving!"

Naoki stared at Tetsuya for a moment with a worried gaze before nodding his head. He grabbed Tetsuya's hand and began making his way through the halls, the both of them constantly running into the walls as the explosions drew closer to them.

When the exit of the prison was nearly in sight, Tetsuya found himself being tackled to the ground, his grip on Naoki's hand loosening as he cried out in surprise. He was straddled to the floor and he looked up fearfully into the black eyes that belonged to none other than Orochi Kuchiki.

"Tetsuya!" Naoki called out, reaching for his lover before he found himself tackled by a group of prison guards as well.

"You thought you could get away from me?" Orochi seethed as he held Tetsuya's wrists to the ground. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again! No matter where you are, you belong to me! And if you think I will allow that thing your cell mate has created to live, you thought wrong! You will only ever bear my children! As punnishment, you will not only have to deal with the death of this child, but I will make you my sex slave. I will make you my concubine and you will have no choice but to obey my every word. Do you understand?" Orichi growled out, pulling a syringe from inside of his uniform.

"Don't hurt him!" Naoki scremed, thrashing underneath the guards theat held him down. "Tetsuya!"

"Shut him up!" Orichi ordered. "Make him watch as the person he loves is torn away from the thing they've created."

"Please don't do this, Orichi-sama!" Tetsuya pleaded, crying out as the needle dug into his lower abdomen. "The child is innocent, it's not his or her fault!"

"Shut up!" Orichi demanded, slepping Tetsuya across the face before pressing the liquid from the syringe into the young male's body. "This is only the beginning of your punnishment for defying me."

Tetsuya's body began to glow as he screamed out in pain. The boy could feel his insides being twisted and pulled, seeming to snap and be set on fire. The reitsu cluster inside of his body became disrupted and unstable, quickly losing cohesion and burning up inside of him painfully before completely disappearing.

Tetsuya layed limply underneath Orochi, crying as his body returned to normal and he felt emptyness where his child used to reside. All he could do was cry harder when he heard ths sounds of Naoki's screams to stop what had happened.

Tetsuya's emotions that had been bottled up inside suddenly caused the block that had been placed on his powers when he was young to release. Reitsu flooded the area where they were, burning Orochi with the sheer force of raw power. Orochi could only roll off of Tetsuya to try and regain the breath he seems to have lost as the guards try to do the same. The only one unaffected was Naoki, who was unable to feel the spiritual pressure since his own was still blocked.

Naoki quickly stood, running next to the crying form of his lover and picking him up. He looked down worriedly at Tetsuya's unsettled features before taking off into a sprint towards the exit.

"Naoki..." Tetsuya cried. "He took our child... he took our miracle..."

"Shh Tetsuya, everything will be alright," Naoki encouraged. "Byakuya-sama should be right outside of the prison entrance. Everything will be okay, just hold on."

As the exit came into view, the prison shook more violently, causing rubble to begin falling from the cieling. Naoki did his best to dodge most of it, but soon enough, a large boulder came crashing towards them. With almost no time to act, Naoki threw Tetsuya out of the way in a desperate attempt to save his lover before being struck by the boulder.

Tetsuya slid along the ground, coughing and getting up on shaking arms. He looked over to the boulder that had just crashed down and his eyes widened in horror. He quickly stood, making his way over to where half of Naoki's body was crushed underneath the large rock.

"Naoki!" He cried out, puhing on the boulder with strength he never knew he had. He continued to push on it, rolling it off of his boyfriend before kneeling next to him. "Naoki!"

"What... are you doing... Tetsuya?" Naoki asked weakly, blood spitting out of his mouth as he stared with half lidded eyes at Tetsuya. "Go... get out of here."

"I'm not leaving without you," Tetsuya stated desperately, picking up Naoki and making a slow walk towards the exit. "I already lost our child, I can't lose you too!"

After an agonizing walk towards the exit, Tetsuya made it outside and found himself being pelted by the pouring rain. He could hear the sound of hoof beats someshere in the distance, but shook his head and imagining that it was just the rain.

He quickened his pace towards the forest that had neatly concealed Itamigiri for the longest time, seeking shelter from the rain and a quick escape from the place he lived his whole life. Once underneath the cover of trees, the sound of hoof beats got much stronger and the sound of shunpo joined in. He trudged forwards even deeper into the forest, his body moving on shaky legs towards the sound as he held tightly onto a gasping Naoki.

Soon he was surrounded by unfamiliar faces and people took hold of the body he was carrying. He gripped onto Naoki tighter, struggling to keep his lover in his arms and never let go.

"You must allow them to take him," a voice coaxed next to him, causing Tetsuya to turn and look at a teenage youth who looked much like him wearing a cloak around his uniform. "He must be treated so we may try to save his life."

Tetsuya felt a sense of relief at seeing this man, as if only looking into his eyes, Tetsuya could tell who he was and that he was trustworthy. Tetsuya hesitated still, but slowly allowed a couple of people to take Naoki from him as the teenaged male walked closer. He fell to his knees, watching as the strangers began to try and save his lover.

"I want everyone else to go to the prison and save whomever you can before the entire thing finishes collapsing!" The teen ordered before kneeling next to Tetsuya. "Can you tell me what your name is?"

Tetsuya looked up at the concerned gaze of the other before nodding. "It's Tetsuya Kuchiki," he breathed out and shivered as the cold rain nipped at his skin. "And you're Byakuya-sama, right?"

Byakuya nodded, taking his cloak from around himself and draping it over Tetsuya's shoulders. "I am."

"The rumors were true then," Tetsuya stated, his lip quivering as fresh tears exploited his eyes. "If only you had come sooner," he whispered to himself just low enough to where Byakuya couldn't hear as he placed a hand on his stomach in dismay.

"Byakuya-sama, it's no use, we can't save him," one of the healers called out. "The lower half of his body is completely crushed and he's already lost too much blood. There's nothing else we can do."

Tetsuya began crying even harder, placing a hand over his mouth and unconsciously placing his forehead on Byakuya's shoulder. Byakuya stared down at Tetsuya sadly before looking up at the healers and nodding. "Thank you for trying. There are bound to be more injured brought this way, so we best be prepared to save who we can."

"Hai!"

'Naoki.' Tetsuya thought sadly to himself as he felt Byakuya wrap his arms around his slim form. 'Why did you leave me too?'

END OF FLASHBACK

"I see," Unohana stated sadly. "I'm sorry for bringing such a horrible memory up from the past. I wasn't expecting what you told me."

"No, it's alright," Tetsuya replied, taking a deep breath. "I needed to get that off of my chest at some point, ne?"

"I guess you are right in what you say," Unohana agreed, her eyebrows dipping slightly in concern. "You best get back to Kuchiki-san. No doubt he's worried about you."

"Hai, arigatou, Unohana taichou," Tetsuya bid farewell before leaving the room and heading back to Kuchiki manor.

"No, thank you, Tetsuya," Unohana whispered to herself. "If it wasn't for your offer to help out Ichigo and Byakuya, then all of soul society would be plunged into more turmoil and worry than it already encompasses."

* * *

Byakuya looked up when someone entered the room. He noticed that the green haired male was worried and looked as though he had just got finished crying.

Takuma only spared a small glance at Byakuya before turning his gaze towards his cousin. He walked with small steps towards the bed, the fact that Ichigo was plugged into all of these machines not escaping his notice. Ichigo's skin looked pale, and even though he looked sickly, he also looked surprisingly peaceful.

The older Shiba slid into the empty chair opposite of Byakuya and sat siletly next to Ichigo, picking up the pale and limp hand.

"Are you alright, Takuma?" Byakuya asked, causing Takuma to look up at the noble. "You look as though you've just got into a fight with your emotions and lost."

"Ha, sharp as always, I see," Takuma breathed out, nodding. "Yeah. I don't see how you can keep everything locked up inside of you as you do. You've shown more emotion since marrying my cousin, but I can tell that there is still much that you keep locked inside."

"It took many years of practice and experience and being ordered around by the Kuchiki council since a young age to be who I was. It was difficult to be that way, but it was what was expected of me at the time."

Takuma sighed and shook his head.

"No one should be expected to be emotionless, Byakuya-kun," Takuma advised, allowing a small smile to return to his face. "I kind of miss that care free spirit you used to have as a teen. Things were much more interesting then."

"If by interesting you mean that I was agitated by your ramblings much easier," Byakuya began, giving Takuma a look of slight annoyance, "then yes, it was a lot more interesting back then."

"Not only that, we hung out more!" Takuma implied. "You weren't a clan leader yet and you could get away with slacking off duties to run into Rukongai with me. I was able to enter the Kuchiki manor whenever I felt the need to."

"You only ever dragged me into Rukongai with you so that way you could gain the notice of women," Byakuya sighed, smirking as he shook his head.

"Ah, but that was before I realized I wasn't attracted to woman," Takuma replied, smirking as well. "Then you became my wingman on trying to pick up guys."

"I never liked doing that," Byakuya sighed. "I tried to help you get dates from the male population and it always ended up with me having to run from the men you insisted on me asking to notice you."

"Yeah, I remeber," Takuma laughed. "There was even this one time when one of the men tried to take off your kimono. It was hilarious!"

"I guess to you rape from a third person perspective is hilarious, you vulgar being," Byakuya growled, glaring at the Shiba across from him.

"He didn't even get your kimono all the way open before you unleased Senbonzakura on him, so it wasn't rape," Takuma explained with a shrug. "He was just really coming on to you."

"You are unbelievable," Byakuya breathed out, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand and sighing.

"I know!"

There was a momentary pause between them before Takuma let go of Ichigo's hand and stood.

"Well, I better go," Takuma implied. "Mom is going to be mad at me for being late to dinner tonight and the rest of the clan is going to want an update on Ichigo's condition. He's stable, ne?"

"Yes," Byakuya replied while nodding. "Reports have stopped coming from the fourth, which means that Tetsuya should be arriving back at the manor soon. Everything seems to be in order here, you may go."

"Dismissing me like an attendant, ne?" Takuma chuckled while making his way towards the door. "That is just like you. I'll be back tomorrow to see how Ichigo's holding up. See you then."

Byakuya nodded his head at Takuma and watched the green eyed male leave before turning his attention back to Ichigo. He ran a thumb over the teens hand before sighing sadly. The only response he received was the sound of Ichigo's breathing with the guidance of the breathing mask on his face.

'Oh, Ichigo,' Byakuya throught sadly while moving a hand to run it through the teens hair. 'Your making me feel like... what did you call it? It was something from the living world. A worry wart. That even sounds vulgar in my head. But it's not only me that your worrying, I can feel the disturbance throughout all Soul Society. Your condition hasn't left the people who know, but it seems as though everyone knows there is something wrong. But don't worry, because you will be fine. I can promise you that.'

Byakuya stood from his chair, leaning over carefully and kissing Ichigo's forehead. He closed his eyes and sighed, leaning his forehead against his husband's.

A sudden wind blew through the noble's hair, casting it adrift and seemingly to be enveloped with Ichigo's reitsu. He no longer felt as if he were in the Kuchiki manor and found that he was now laying down on something. Furrowing his eyebrows, Byakuya opened his eyebrows and sat up, taking in his surrounding.

He was correct in his assumption that he wasn't in Kuchiki manor anymore. Instead, he found himself sitting upright on the side of a building and surprisingly not falling down to the ground a ways beside him.

The wind blew again, this time strong enough to cause Byakuya to have to grip the windowsill beside his and put his arm up to shield his eyes. When the wind died down, he cast his gaze around once more and saw a confused and shocked figure not too far from where he sat.

"Byakuya?"


	12. Heat of the Moment

**Hey, did you guys know that around the world, Bleach "fans" are burning their manga because of the pairings Kubo let off with in the final chapter? I don't care who got with who because I go for either side. Also, I'm just happy that they even had kids in the first place. Kazuki is absolutely adorable and Ichika has the badass personality her parents have. It's cute! And, of course, there are no little kids in this story because the pairings from the manga don't apply. Okay? Got it.**

Ichigo moved forwards, stepping quickly towards Byakuya as his husband began to stand inside of his inner world. Confusion rang through him as he got closer, placing his hand on Byakuya's shoulder and forearm to help him up. Byakuya looked at Ichigo, and the teenager saw the confusion in his eyes as well.

"How did...?" Ichigo began his voice trailing off as he shook his head and sighed. "It doesn't matter. Are you alright?"

Byakuya looked around as Ichigo's hands moved from his body. He slowly nodded, looking back into Ichigo's eyes before speaking.

"I am fine, but confused," he replied honestly and took a cautious few steps forward. When he found his balance never wavered and he was, indeed, standing on the side of a building, he looked up at the sky and noticed that the clouds were overhead instead of above the sideways skyscrapers.

"I'm guessing this is your inner world," Byakuya commented, a small smile teasing the corners of his lips. "It really suits you."

"Is that supposed to be appraisal or an insult to my personality?" Ichigo joked, a smile of his own playing at his lips.

"You can take what you will out of it," Byakuya replied, turning back to look at Ichigo.

"I don't know if I should be elated or offended," Ichigo chuckled and walked over to Byakuya, wrapping his arms around the older noble as he sighed contentedly.

Byakuya leaned into his husband's arms, enjoying the feel of his healthy arms wrapped around him. The boy's bright orange hair tickled the sides of his face as the wind in Ichigo's inner world flew gently around them. Momentarily, Byakuya had completely forgetten where he was as the masculine scent of his lover invaded his senses.

Ichigo, noticing his lover's reluctance to leave his arms, kissed the top of Byakuya's head. He burried his face into the silken black hair, breathing the scent of sakura deeply before sighing.

"Are you alright, Byakuya?" Ichigo asked, taking a step back with his lover still in his arms to look into Byakuya's blue eyes.

"I'm fine," Byakuya replied, "but you're not."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the response, sitting down on the glass pane of a window. He looked at his arms and stretched out his legs before checking his stomach. Facing Byakuya, who also sat down after him, he shrugged.

"Besides a little headache and a small stomach ache, I'm fine," Ichigo reassured, scooting closer to Byakuya.

Byakuya sighed, looking up at the sky as Ichigo placed his head on his shoulder. The serenity of the area seemed too peaceful considering what was happening to Ichigo's body out in Kuchiki manor. There had to be some sort of disturbance somewhere.

Instead of thinking too much into it, Byakuya glanced down at Ichigo with sad eyes, entwining his fingers into the younger man's. A frown settled onto his features as he thought of how to explain the situation without possibly frightening the boy. He bit his lip in thought, his eyes absently wandering to Ichigo's abdomen.

The teen, noticing Byakuya's silence, glanced up at Byakuya and furrowed his eyebrows. Byakuya seemed to be conpemplating something, his eyes noticably on his stomach. He pursed his lips, lifting his head and trying to find a way to break the silence.

 _'I've had plenty of time to think in here since both Zangetsu's refused to let me leave my inner world,'_ Ichigo thought to himself. _'There's got to be something I was thinking about thay doesn't involve the current situation...'_

Suddenly, his eyes lit up slightly as he remembered an idea that came up during a conversation he had with his inner spirits. He layed down on the side of the skyscraper, placing his hands behing his head while staring at Byakuya.

"You know, I've been thinking," Ichigo began, jolting Byakuya out of his seemingly dazed state and causing the older noble to look at him. "What would you think if I cut my hair?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, sensing Ichigo's tactic to direct his attention from their predicament. He was about to reply that the question wouldn't help them, but he couldn't help himself but to stop and think about it.

He began imagining Ichigo with short hair, the first image causing him to inwardly shudder as he seemed to conjure up an image where Ichigo had a buzz cut. Quickly pushing the disturbing image from his mind, he imagined him with slightly longer hair than that. He imagined Ichigo with a similar hair cut to his father, and couldn't help but see that there would be a small piece falling loosely onto his forehead in an almost Hitsugaya like way.

The image in his head was quite appealing to say in the least. It seemed to make Ichigo's features look softer and more welcoming. To be quite frank, it also made him look even more lovable and caring. Byakuya could practically imagine the softness of it when he would run his hands through it and imagine the delicate smile it would bring to his hubands face.

Ichigo watched as Byakuya thought to himself about the question he was asked. At first, he thought Byakuya had rejected the idea from the disgusted look that flashed momentarily through his eyes, but then he saw Byakuya's worry and anguish disappear into a much calmer facade. He watched as Byakuya's lips ever so slightly upturned into a smile. The action caused Ichigo to smile and chuckle slightly.

"I wouldn't mind if you cut it short," Byakuya finally replied, looking down at Ichigo with his smile ever present. "As long as you cut it the way I've got it pictured in my mind, it would be fine."

"Oh," Ichigo began, his smile broadening as Byakuya layed down next to him and placed his forehead on the teen's, "and how do you have it pictured then?"

"You should wait and see for yourself," Byakuya teased against Ichigo's lips with a small smirk.

"I see, so you want me to get it cut first," Ichigo replied, moving closer to Byakuya so their bodies touched. " I will trust your judgement then," he finished, letting his lips collide with Byakuya's. "When we get out of here, I'll let you cut it."

"Are you sure you want me to do it?" Byakuya asked, crawling on top of the orange headed boy and caressing the boy's face and jawline with his fingertips, and then trailing down the side of Ichigo's neck. "I may have a better chance at cutting it with Senbonzakura than I would be if I used a pair of scissors or had an attendant do it for you."

Ichigo chuckled, slipping his hands into Byakuya's shihakusho and touching his lovers chest. He skimmed the noble's skin till his hands were behind Byakuya's neck. "Use Senbonzakura for all I care," he replied. "It would be the most beautiful way to recieve a trim."

The boy tugged lightly on Byakuya's neck, pulling the older man in for a passionate kiss.

Their lips locked together hungrily and they found themselves in a completely different reality. Friction between clothing awakened their mighty friends, causing them to remove their clothing quickly. They both paused, staring with lust fillex eyes at each other's bare bodies for the briefest of moments before Byakuya leaned forward and quickly began attacking Ichigo's neck.

The teen moaned aloud, entangling his fingers into Byakuya's silky black hair. Byakuya's tongue ran in circles near the base of his neck, causing his cry of pleasure to slowly escalate. Byakuya's hands ran lightly down his sides, goosebumbs of intense pleasure forming on Ichigo's skin at the contact.

Byakuya began lightly stroking the member of his younger lover, making the boy breathless and causing wanton sounds to escape Ichigo's lips. As a tease, Byakuya moved his fingers away from sensitive boy's nether region and began to stroke at Ichigo's toned chest.

Ichigo growled in dissatisfaction, trying to roll the two of them to take the upper position. He found himself too weak to make the move, so instead he began to tease Byaluya as well, causing the older noble to groan in pleasure into his mouth.

In response, Byakuya began to make his way down the boy's chest and slowly over Ichigo's abdomen. Heated breath was shared between them as Byakuya reached lower to pleasure his lover, but a small pulse of reiatsu as he passed by Ichigo's lower abdomen caused him to stop dead and go rigid in his stance. His palm reflexively flattened against Ichigo's toned stomach, searching for the small, almost unnoticable pulse of reiatsu once again.

Brown eyes stared as Byakuya's features gained a concentrated look, seeming to forget all actions prior. Ichigo was tempted to get angry at the noble for stopping before the real pleasure began, but he saw something in Byakuya's eyes that made him hold back. Something wasn't right.

"Byakuya?" Ichigo called softly, hoping to gain his lovers attention. The response he was met with was Byakuya placing a finger to his own lips before setting his other hand right next to the other on Ichigo's stomach.

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows, unsure of what Byakuya was currently doing. He wanted to sit up, but found that if he tried, it would most likely break the concentration of the head of the Kuchiki clan. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew that it had something to do with his abdomen- the fact Byakuya was laying his palms there supporting it. He relaxed his body as much as he could, looking up into the sky as his heartbeat slowed into a calm rhythm.

The next few minutes were met with silence. The wind that had once been in Ichigo's inner world no longer made itself known and the clouds were static in the sky. The silence soon became deafening and a long, high pitched noise eventually appeared in Ichigo's ears to break the silence. At first, the teen thought nothing would happen, but just a scant few moments before he was about to speak again, he felt something pulse inside of him, seeming to reach for Byakuya's palms before going as quick as it came.

Ichigo's eyes widened as he quickly sat up and noticed the weary yet calm look on his husband's face. His hands immediately removed Byakuya's and were placed on his own abdomen. This time, the reaction was quicker as the reiatsu reached for him. It lasted long enough for Ichigo to realize that it wasn't his own just fluctuating, but it was a different signature entirely.

"Byakuya? What the hell is going on?!" Ichigo questioned, a frantic look overtaking his features. "What was that? I was completely fine until now. Well, except for my headache and stomach ache, but this is surreal! Please, tell me what's been happening!"

Byakuya moved to cover his body, sliding his shihakusho on and moving to cover his lover's body as well. He had a calculating look, determining what he should tell his husband about his condition outside of the boy's inner world. Some things he wanted to keep to himself so he didn't worry his lover too much, but there was definitely things that he needed to know.

Like the baby.

The elder noble looked up at Ichigo, staring into his confused amber eyes. He steered himself, getting ready for a long explanation.

"Ichigo," he began slowly, "there are some things I have to explain to you before I can tell you about everything that's been happening. Some of it is liked with the noble families, and other parts are unknown or because of Kurotsuchi Mayuri."

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this," Ichigo sighed, biting his lips and giving his full attention to Byakuya.

Byakuya shook his head.

"No, you're most likely not."

The elder noble pursed his lips in thought for a few seconds longer before beginning his explanation.

"I should begin with the noble families first," Byakuya finally started. "It wasn't long after you fell comatose that I received information on the experiments done to the half blood nobles in Itamigiri many years ago. One of the experiments in particular is linked to your current condition."

"I'm guessing Mayuri found something and decided it would be fun to recreate the experiment?" Ichigo asked in an exasperated manner.

"Unfortunately, you are correct," Byakuya replied, before dealing out the entire story.

...

Rukia knocked on the door to the room both of her brothers resided in, a solemn look on her face. She waited patiently for a few moments for a response, but when she wasn't met with one, she spoke through the door.

"Nii-sama?" she voiced softly, launcher hand flat upon the door. "Can I come in?"

When still no one replied, she furrowed her eyebrows and slowly slid the door open and peeked inside.

A small smile came to her face as she looked at the scene in front of her. Ichigo may have been hooked up to all kinds of new fourth division technology, but it was still adorable. Her older brother sit in the chair next to the bed, his head laying on the bed and gently touching his husbands head. Both were sleeping, seemingly calm after the chaotic events which transpired not hours earlier.

Rukia quickly walked down the hallway, entering her private quarters and grabbing her favorite blanket off of her bed. It was her happy the rabbit blanket she got custom made in the world of the living not too long ago when she went to watch Chad's heavyweight championship with the rest of her friends and Ichigo. Uryu actually stitched it all up for her in apology for not being able to get out of work, and she, of course, immediately accepted the gift and his apology.

She giggled at the memory of Uryu quickly handing it to her when her and Renji we're returning to Soul Society. He seemed a bit flustered, which made it all the more worth while.

With that, she left her room and walked down the hall back to the medical facility in the manor. She draped it over her brother's back, daringly kissing him on the forehead and patting Ichigo's arm softly before leaving the room.


	13. These Beautiful Things

Takuma woke early that morning, before the sun even rose above the horizon. He felt something off about the environment around him, but couldn't place what it was exactly. It put goosebumps on his arms ad caused him to shiver. The unsettling atmosphere was enough to make him remove the covers atop of him and get up from his bed. He quickly put on a shihakusho that lay near his bed and grabbed his zanpakuto. Placing it on his hip, he quietly opened his bedroom door so as to not wake his mother and incur her wrath.

When he noticed that the coast was clear and that not even his rambunctious great uncle was awake, he stepped into the hallway on quiet feet. Being careful not to wake anyone, he took quick and silent steps down the hallway and out of the manor.

The crisp air nicked his skin, making him shiver slightly. He looked around him, using his senses to try and detect where the off feeling was coming from. He was unsure where exactly it was, but he looked over to his right and made a break towards the Seireitei. He kept a hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto in case he would need it, but he had a feeling that the disturbance wasn't something that would require a good slashing.

As he continued forward, he noticed that the path that he was on was leading towards the Kuchiki manor. A sinking feeling fell into his stomach and he pushed his shunpo to its limits, hoping to get there as quickly as possible.

 _'What could possible be happening?'_ Takuma asked himself as he reached the manor gates. The guards let him pass without trouble and he hurried through and inside the building. _'Hardly anyone is awake and it seems that even the Kuchiki guards don't notice anything.'_

His quick steps through the hallway did alert someone awake. The young male was sleeping peacefully when the urgent steps woke him. His eyes snapped open, immediately on high alert as he felt something was off. He searched with his senses and found that Takuma was making a break for the room where both Ichigo and Byakuya lay sleeping.

Tetsuya jumped out of bedand, without changing out of his sleeping yukata, grabbed for his zanpakuto and dashed from his room. He used a quick flash step to catch up to the Shiba and began striding just as urgently to wards the room as Takuma.

"You feel it too, Tetsu-kun?" Takuma asked in a whisper, not slowing his pace one bit.

"I do," Tetsuya replied, hardly giving a second glance towards Takuma. "Something is wrong with the air around Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama. It seems harmless, but still increasingly concerning."

When they reached the room where the couple lay, they noticed that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The medical equipment was running smoothly and both of the men sleeping inside were still alive. Byakuya appeared to have a chappy the rabbit blanket over his shoulders, which meant that Rukia had come sometime during the night to make sure that her brother was as comfortable as possible.

Takuma walked to the side of the bed that Byakuya wasn't on and began to look over his cousin while Tetsuya began to look for anything out of the ordinary for his own cousin.

First, Tetsuya looked for anything out of the ordinary with Byakuya's physical body. Nothing appeared to be wrong, but he noticed that his cousin hadn't woken up to his touch when he was searching.

 _'He must have been exhausted after all of these recent events,'_ Tetsuya thought to himself. _'His stress must have been on high, not knowig what was happening to to Ichigo-sama. But now that he knows that his husband was safe, he can sleep fitfully.'_

He then began to search over Byakuya by seeping his own reiatsu through Byakuya's spirit. Everything seemed to be okay with Byakuya, his bodily functions were still working smoothly and his spirit centers seemed to be keeping the flow of his reiatsu at a decent pace. It was all okay until he realized something was different about Byakuya's reiatsu. He could sense the presence of Senbonzakura, but it seemed as if Byakuya himself wasn't even there.

"Tetsu-kun," Takuma called, gaining the young man's attention. "There seems to be more than just Ichigo-kun's reiatsu in his body."

Tetsuya walked over towards Takuma, standing next to him and looking down at Ichigo.

"Ichigo-sama is pregnant, as I'm sure you know," Tetsuya began, hovering his hands over Ichigo's sleeping form, sending his own reiatsu through the male and searching for himself to wee where Takuma found the disturbance.

"Of course I know that!" Takuma stated in a way that seemed he was trying to lighten the stiff atmosphere. "But there's more than just his and the baby's reiatsu in there. It's like somebody else is inside of him."

"If that is true, then we have a problem that is in need of fixing," Tetsuya replied.

The room became silent as Tetsuya continued to examine his cousin's husband with his reiatsu. He made his first priority to search around the spirit chamber and make sure that nothing seemed to be wrong with it. Once he was satisfied that the chamber was undamaged and holding strong, he moved his hands in different directions, seeking for another reiatsu that wasn't Ichigo's. He didn't find one right away, and he was reluctant to send any extra reiatsu into Ichigo's head in fear of possibly setting back the orange headed noble's health. But if what Takuma had said was true, than whoever else is inside of Ichigo could be in danger.

Tetsuya slowly and hesitantly moved his hands around the breathing mask that resided around Ichigo's mouth and nose and hovered his palm over the male's forehead. Using very little reiatsu, he began to search through Ichigo's mind. It was a slow process and Tetsuya could feel the growing anticipation that came from Takuma next to him. He spared a glance at the green eyed man and saw just how worried he was before turning back to the sickly teen and concentrating harder to see if there was an extra reiatsu.

Then, suddenly, he did feel another reiatsu. It was one so familiar that it made him tear his hands away in fright and stare incredulously at the male occupying the bed and the one who sat next to it, sleeping.

Takuma took this action to mean that Tetsuya had, in fact, found another reiatsu besides Ichigo's and the child's in his cousin's body. The thought made his pale and he stared worriedly at his cousin for a moment, praying that the boy would be alright. After a moment, he looked back at Tetsuya and waited for the boy to speak, already knowing that the young half-blood knew who's reiatsu was inside of his cousin.

It took a moment for Tetsuya to collect his bearings, but he did so quickly and summoned a hell butterfly, speaking softly yet hastily to it.

"Please come to the Kuchiki manor quickly, Unohana taichou. Something very unpleasant has just happened and we are going to need your help to undo the damage that has already been done and to prevent what may come if this goes on for any longer. Byakuya-sama's reiatsu is no longer inside of his own body and appears to be stuck inside of Ichigo-sama's body. Please respond as quickly as you can and bring Kotetsu fuku-tiachou with you if you must."

He sent the jigokucho on its way, quickly leaving the room to go and grab Rukia and summon a meeting with the elders. he knew, as much as he didn't want to speak face to face with them, that the elders would need to be informed. Since Byakuya seemed to be out of commission, it feel to him until the clan leader was back on his feet, to deal with the clan duties.

Takuma stayed behind, not knowing what exactly he should be doing. He decided to stay behind and sit next to Ichigo on the opposite side of the bed where Byakuya resided. He looked at the older noble, vacant of his hairpieces, who seemed to just be sleeping soundly. He then turned to look at his sleeping cousin, the pasty white skin staring back up at him as if it were translucent. He could tell that his cousin was still very sickly, but he could also tell that his condition would worsen if they didn't find a way to return Byakuya back to his own body.

He spared another glance back at Byakuya, worry for the elder noble reaching it's peak just as well as his worry for Ichigo. He still wasn't very used to it, but Byakuya was his cousin too now, even if it was just by marriage. Byakuya may not be his blood relative, but he was still family and his closest friend of many years. He couldn't think about what could happen if he lost either of his cousins.

 _'Life just wouldn't be the same,'_ Takuma thought dejectedly, jumping from fright when the pounding of feet sounded from the end of the hallway and the worried shouts of Rukia filled his ears.

"Nii-sama! Ichigo!" she shouted loudly as she entered the room, nearly running into the wall in her frantic state.

Takuma stood up as Rukia rushed to the side of the bed and immediately took the seat that he was just standing in. He watched as her tears slowly filled her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. Tetsuya entered the room not long after, a sad look on his face as he looked at Rukia and sighed. He turned to Takuma with a look of forced authority and began to speak.

"Takuma-kun," he began, placing a hand on his zanpakuto, "I am going to need you to watch over Rukia, Ichigo-sama, and Byakuya-sama while I am away tending to clan business with the elders. Stay here and help Unohana taichou if she needs it and make sure no harm comes to any of the residents at the manor. I will be leaving Arashi here to help with security. I shall see you at dinner if the meeting doesn't last too long."

Tetsuya used shunpo to disappear from sight, leaving Takuma with a crying Rukia and a spirit steed to help him out around the house. He looked over to Rukia, sighing before forcing a smile and trying to comfort the upset girl.

A sudden reminder came to his mind as he realized that he would have to inform the rest of the Shiba clan about the most recent events. He shuddered at the thought of what his mother might do after hearing about this and about just how ridiculous his uncle is going to be acting if he isn't too upset about what's happening.

Not even time for breakfast and already he knew that today was going to be a rough day.

... 

Ichigo sat silently, pondering all of the information that he had received from Byakuya. His husband was staring at him expectantly, as if waiting for some kind of outburst, but Ichigo could tell that he surprised him because he didn't react and Byakuya blinked at him a few times. Ichigo bit his lip and sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair in exasperation.

"You are taking this information a lot better than in thought that you would," Byakuya finally spoke, breaking the lengthened silence between them. " I half expected that, you being the kind of person you are, would try and attack something or even let out your anger by screaming. Are you even the least bit unpleassed by the actions that were taken upon you, Ichigo?"

Ichigo gave a short laugh, shaking his head and looking up at the sky.

"Trust me Byakuya, I am beyond the point of anger. In fact, I'm having a feeling that I would like to murder the bastard Mayuri. " He stopped himself from continuing any further in fear of just lashing out and ruining any more of his inner world. he let out a sound of exasperation and allowed himself to plop back on the side of the building and look up at the sky in unimaginable anger.

"You just don't go screwing with someone's body without their permission," he grumbled under his breath, closing his eyes and taking a deep inhale of air.

He put his hand back on his stomach experimentally, once again feeling the stretch of another reiatsu trying to reach out to the touch. The action caused some of his anger to dwindle and he went to rubbing his stomach, a smile threatening to escape him.

"But, something good does get to come out of this," he whispered mainly to himself, but Byakuya was able to hear it and allowed another smile of his own to overtake his features.

"A miracle of any kind is a miracle nonetheless," he agreed, scooting closer to Ichigo and laying next to him. "This child inside of you," he continued, placing a hand on top of Ichigo's lower abdomen and staring into his spouse's amber eyes, "he or she may have been the cause of an experiment that was unwillingly done onto you, but this new life is still innocent and is _ours_ Ichigo. This reiastu was conceived in you during a bonding of only love and passion between you and I, a sacred ritual that should only be preformed between lovers and soul bonded. Ichigo, you are not only just my lover, but the choosing ceremony and the choice of the mist confirmed that you are my soul bonded. our hearts beat in sync together and we will live every moment, happy or horrifying as they come, together. As soul bonded, we will live each day the other lives, and we will die together. And together, we will raise this child. Just you and me, Ichigo. I've said it before and I will say it a million times over. I love you Ichigo."

Ichigo, his spirits well lifted, turned and brought his lips upon Byakuya's in a passionate kiss.

"You know," Ichigo whispered against the elder nobles soft lips with a smile, "when you say things like that to me, I can't help feeling like I've fallen in love with you all over again."


	14. Lost in You

A sudden shift in the air and a loud rumbling broke the peaceful moment that Byakuya and Ichigo had been sharing. They stood up as quickly as they could, trying hard to keep their balance as the world rattled violently and tried to collapse underneath their feet. Byakuya grabbed Ichigo's hand and quickly used shunpo to move far away from the skyscraper that they had been standing upon.

Once clear from the destruction, Byakuya stopped the movement and turned to look behind him. He saw Ichigo look in the same direction as he did and they both watched as the skyscraper they had resided on moments before collapsed. Steel broke apart as if it were dirt and it tumbled towards the ground sideways to it. The sound of breaking glass rang loudly around them and they both covered they faces as some of it burst towards their direction.

Ichigo felt the stinging sensation of a cut as glass rained down on him. The warm feeling of blood ran down the width of his forearm for a moment, and then began to run down it's length when he put his arm back down at his side. The blood came down in a thick, heavy trail, but he hardly noticed it as he saw his inner world crumbling right before his eyes. Disbelief ran through his veins as he watched the black mist that had been so far away from their position reach ever closer to them at such a heightened rate that he couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Once more, as it drew closer to him and Byakuya, he thought he could hear a voice inside of the mist, one that chilled him to the bone and caused him to shiver from fear.

 _'No, he's dead, he can't be here. I killed him myself!'_

But Ichigo knew his worst fears had come to life the moment a deep cackling rumbled in his ears, as if mocking him. He wondered just how that voice was even there, and he wondered just how such an evil entity had found its way inside of his soul.

 ** _'Did you really think I'd die by being cut in half by the likes of you, Kurosaki Ichigo?'_** The foul man cackled in his mind. ** _'That would have been the ending of a mere street rat, but even if I do end up dying, I won't die in such an anti-climatic way as that! Now, I will destroy you Kurosaki Ichigo, and I will make sure that all of your loved ones die beside you!'_**

Ichigo wanted to scream and tell the voice to leave him and his family alone, but he found that he could no longer speak. His throat had been constricted by an invisible force and he found himself unable to breathe. He fell to the ground right next to Byakuya, tugging harshly on the man as he fell and bringing one of his hands to his throat. He desperately tried to find some source of air and to rip away the force that was holding it back from him, but his attempts were futile and he couldn't hear the desperate attempt Byakuya was making to catch his attention.

His vision darkened around the edges and the feeling of mortal danger gripped tightly onto his being. He fought back as best he could, even lashing out with his arms and swatting any attempts for the hands reaching for him to grab him. They were unfamiliar, he thought to himself, and they posed a threat to his very being.

Soon enough his entire vision was black, and he found that he no longer had control over his own body.

...

It happened only moments before Unohana taicho arrived. No one had been in the room with Ichigo and Byakuya at the time, but the air all around the Seireitei had become still and silent. Nobody moved, all of the shinigami in the area all seeming to expect something, but what they were expecting, they didn't know. But the air became so still that no one seemed to be able to breathe, then suddenly everything crashed down and brought chaos.

Black mist from the shadows began to rise from everywhere all at once, gripping the legs of some of the shinigami well before they knew what was happening. Screams began to erupt from every corner of the Seireitei, and the alarms of intruders in the Seireitei began to go off. All of the shinigami that could shunpo fast enough raced towards the gates of the Seireitei, hoping to get through them and away from whatever it was causing many of their fellow squad members disappear before the gates came crashing down from the kings palace.

In the Research and Development Department, the monitors were all going off like crazy and chaos began to grow inside of the building. Many of the squad members were dashing furiously around the building with large stacks of paper and others were dropping their test tubes and other devices that their industrial revolution after the downfall of Yhwach had brought them. All others were typing as quickly as they could on their computers, scanning over the information that they were gathering as quickly as they could so they could asses the situation with accuracy.

The doors to the main hall of the Research and Development Department slammed open so suddenly that a slight, minimal falter spread throughout the room before it was back to it's original chaos. the quick steps of the twelfth division captain raced around to Akon, the child Nemuri struggling to keep up with his long and urgent strides.

"What in the blazes is happening?" Mayuri shouted and looked over the shoulder of his third seat.

"There's been a breach in the Seireitei," Akon replied as quickly as possible. "Were going through tests to find out who's reiatsu it is if it is one that has been in the Soul Society before and we are almost done conducting those tests."

"Move out of the way you fool!" Mayuri ordered, shoving the man away from the computer and typing on it much quicker than Akon had been previously, finishing the testing in mere seconds and causing him to widen his eyes in surprise.

"Well now, this is quite interesting indeed," he said to himself, beginning to conduct another test to find out exactly where the source of the reiatsu is coming from. Colors flew across the screen at such a rapid rate that it was a wonder that the twelfth division taicho was able to take all of the information in as quickly as he had.

In about a minute, he had tracked the location of the reiatsu's core and the camera's he had installed around the Seireitei began to show the amount of chaos that had begun to surround the Kuchiki manor.

"My, my, Kurosaki Ichigo," He stated to himself, standing and racing out of the room to get to the emergency taicho meeting. "You always have a way of surprising us all, don't you?"

...

Takuma made a quick dash towards the room where his cousins lay, trying to find his way through the dense black mist that surrounded him. The mist seemed like it was choking him, finding a way into his lungs and blocking any air from coming into his system. He was coughing loudly and painfully, for the mist seemed like it was tearing his insides and scraping the the flesh off his skin, but he still pressed forwards as fast as he could.

He raced along the edges of the hallway, feeling for the door in which he was trying to reach, for he couldn't tell how far away the room was from him. The mist blocked the spiritual pressures of Byakuya and Ichigo and he couldn't use that as his way to track them down. His vision, already blackened from the mist, seemed to darken even further now that there was no oxygen left reaching his brain.

The green haired male was almost ready to believe that his situation was quite hopeless when he finally found the door that he was looking for. He quickly shoved it open, diving inside of the room and taking one of the deepest breath he has ever taken in his life. He coughed quite violently, the mist in his lungs coming out of him in painful waves and receding back into the air and following the trail of the rest of the mist drifting high in the air of the room.

Takuma stood, perplexed about the reason as to why this room seemed to have the cleanest air of any other place in the Kuchiki manor. He turned over to look at his cousins, noticing that the mist seemed to be escaping from Ichigo's body, rising high into the air and leaving the room before dispersing to every available space in the hallway or in the gardens.

He rushed over to his cousin, trying to reach his position when his attempts were blocked and he fell to the ground. He looked back up, noticing that no one else was in the room besides the two sleeping nobles and himself. Standing, he walked closer to the bed with one of his arms outstretched. His hand made contact with some sort of barrier, a bright blue ripple growing out from where his land lay and showing it as a dome surrounding the two lovers.

Takuma's hand reached for his zanpakuto and he tried to use it to break the barrier, but his sword only bounced harmlessly off of the surface. He growled, using even more forced behind his swing and causing a sharp and painful recoil when his arm flew back. He dropped his zankaputo and fell to the ground, clutching his right arm, which was now stiff and had painful pins and needles stabbing at it form the inside.

With effort, he stood from where he sat and he looked over at his cousin, noticing that a white material began to cover the top of his head and began to slowly grow with each passing second. His eyes widened as the hollow mask completely formed, and watched in horror as the red markings began to fade and were replaced with black ones. The white material began to form on both sides of the mask, forming horns almost horizontal to Ichigo's face. Takuma could no longer see the devise that was helping Ichigo breath, but he saw the tube that once held it and figured that the hollow bone had most likely crushed it as it was being formed.

Not long after, outside of the window to the room, a large manta-ray appeared. Takuma watch as the ray opened it's mouth and expelled not only it's master inside of the manor, but her fuku-taicho as well. Unohana taicho swept some of the healing fluid off of her uniform and turned to her zanpakuto and patted it gratefully.

"Thank you, Minazuki," she stated before sealing her zanpakuto and turning to Takuma, who was putting his zanpakuto back into his sheath.

"Unohana taicho! Kotetsu fuku-taicho!" Takuma stated loudly in relief as he walked quickly over to them. "You have to help them! There is something strange going on inside of Ichigo's head and I fear for them."

"Yes, I understand," Unohana replied calmly, walking towards the bed and stopping at the barrier, placing her hand on it and analyzing it. "With Kuchiki taicho's soul inside of Ichigo and the sudden appearance of Yhwach's reiatsu, the situation has become quite critical."

She turned to Kotetsu, summonig a hell butterfly and giving it to her. "Send this jigokucho to the sou-taicho, and let him know I will be unable to attend the meeting for I will be here assisting Ichigo and Byakuya with their current predicament."

Kotetsu nodded her head, beginning to relay the message to the butterfly as quickly as possibly, addressing it to the commander of the Gotei thirteen before releasing it out of the window and into the mist outside.

"Is there anything you need me to do, taicho?" she asked.

"Yes, please heal any injuries that Takuma-san may have received while being inside of the shadow-like mist."

Kotetsu nodded her head, ordering Takuma to lay down as she began to infuse healing reiatsu into his lungs and across the burn marks on his skin.

"Unohana taicho," Takuma began, turning his head to look at the healer as she tried to figure out a way to get through the barrier, "you said that this reiatsu that is being expelled from Ichigo's body is Juha's. Is it really true?"

Unohana was quiet for a moment, and Takuma felt that maybe she hadn't heard what he said. He didn't want to repeat the question, so he didn't press it and taking her silence as the answer he was hoping he wouldn't receive.

He closed his eyes in exasperation, sighing in discontent. He flinched every once and a while as Kotetsu was healing him, but he didn't do very much else. The healing process made him drowsy, and he felt ready to sleep right there on the ground, but he opened his eyes one more time to look at his cousins.

Ichigo hadn't transformed any more, but he could feel the strain on the orange headed male's reiatsu. He searched slightly for Byakuya's, finding it secreted deep beneath the folds of Ichigo's. The distress was evident in the elder noble's reiatsu, and you wouldn't have been able to notice that the black haired noble was in a tight situation by the way he slept so peacefully and soundly next to his lover.

Takuma's eyes drooped low, darkness consuming him. He suddenly saw one last thing before he completely succumbed to sleep. Where Ichigo should have laid, he saw another man with a pale complexion and bright blonde hair falling over his shoulders. Then, he saw himself where Byakuya sat, his head laying on the bed and his own hand clasped tightly in his lover's.

...

Byakuya held his bleeding arm and jumped back as quickly as he could as Ichigo once again sliced at him with his sword. He panted heavily, not understanding just what it was that was happening. His body was feeling quite weak from constantly running and dodging the attacks that his lover was dealing on him. Somehow, just before Ichigo had become someone else entirely, Byakuya had been completely stripped of his power. Without any of his reiatsu he couldn't even sport a simple shunpo.

Ichigo swung his sword at him once again and he tried to jump back in time before he got sliced by the sharp edge of the blade, but the tip of it still grazed right above his eyebrow and caused another wound to open. Byakuya closed his left eye so that way the blood wouldn't get into his eye. He watched wearily as Ichigo stopped his movements and stared at him, beginning to twirl the ribbon of his zanpakuto so that way it spun quickly and wildly in the air beside him.

Byakuya tried once again to call upon any sort of reserves of reiatsu that he may of had left, but it was in vain as it only seemed to weaken his body even more.

"What's the matter, Byakuya?" Ichigo asked in what seemed like a truly worried tone, but the smirk that was on his face told Byakuya that he was anything but worried. "Do you fear me at all, by the way I'm attacking you? Why don't you just leave my inner world since I'm endangering your soul?"

The knowing smile that Ichigo was giving him told him that he knew that Byakuya was unable to leave. In fact, Byakuya knew he was just teasing him. The elder noble had already tried to leave Ichigos inner world, but he couldn't do that without any of his reiatsu.

"Oh, that's right, I've completely trapped you, haven't I?" he growled in a triumphant tone. He began to walk ever closer to Byakuya, the blade in his hand twirling dangerously

Byakuya took a step back, but he was caught off guard when Ichigo used shunpo to get behind him and place the blade on his neck and wrapped an arm around his body. Byakuya shivered involuntarily and his heart thudded hard in his chest and his eyes widened. His muscles grew taut in his lovers grip, and his breath hitched in fear.

This feeling shouldn't have come to him the moment that Ichigo touched him, and Byakuya knew that. Even if Ichigo was practically about to kill him, the feeling of fear going through him put him on edge.

 _'This man is not Ichigo!'_ Byakuya thought to himself as Ichigo's breath hit his ear.

"You know, I should feel horrible for keeping you here against your will like this and damaging you as I have, but I really don't. In fact, I feel like I'm quite enjoying myself!"

Ichigo backed away putting his blade at his side and smiling in a vicious way. his eyes began to turn black, and his irises began to gain a golden glint to them. He cackled in a mischievous way and Byakuya watched in horror as a white film began to appear over Ichigo's face and forming his hollow mask.

"I think I'll play with you for a little while so that way I can finish destroying the Seireitei. Then, I will kill you with my own hands and I will make sure that in your final breaths you watch as your lover and future legacy kill themselves by Ichigo's own hands!"


End file.
